Call E.W. Tompkins Plumbing Heating Cooling for an inspection of your water heater’s pressure relief valve.

A pressure relief valve on the water heater is sometimes known as the T&P valve.  That stands for temperature and pressure.  It has an important role on your heater.  The brass valve on the side or top is designed to allow steam or water out of the unit when the temperature exceeds the limit of the unit.  You do not want it to explode in the house.

A puddle of water at the base of your water heater might be there because of the pressure relief valve.  Look for stains on the floor.  Maybe you have a defective expansion tank.  Maybe the relief valve is defective.  When units age, the rubber washer in the bottom of the valve gets harder and harder.  It may crack and cause a leak.  Do you test your valve?

At E.W. Tompkins Plumbing Heating Cooling, we suggest that you test your valve periodically.  If you are sensing a problem with your unit, give us a call at 518-462-6577 and we can come out to inspect it.  The typical water heater lasts about 10-12 years.  How old is your unit?  Are there signs of rust?  We do water heater installations that take about 2 hours if you feel that your hot water heater is giving you problems.