Water Heater Expansion Tank Pressure

With enough bending the paper clip will break.

Water heater expansion tank pressure. When water is heated or a hot water faucet is turned off abruptly pressure builds from expanding water molecules. Use a tire gauge to check the pressure. Most expansion tanks come pressurized to 12 40 psi but before you install the tank you have to match the system pressure. If your water heater holds 50 gallons of cold water it will expand to about 52 gallons when it is heated.

You install the expansion tank down the line from the inlet valve that sends hot water into your home. Use a bicycle pump or compressor to fill the tank to match the system pressure you noted earlier. Water expands by roughly 2 as it heats up from 50 f to 120 f. Turn on the tap drain all the pressure from the system.

Since water expands when it is heated due to thermal expansion the water heater creates extra water volume every time it heats water. When your water thermally expands a water heater expansion tank prevents unwanted increases in pressure. It has a diaphragm separating both. Go to the expansion tank and connect the pump outlet to the schrader valve.

It s estimated for example that the cold water in a standard 50 gallon water heater expands to 52 gallons when heated to 120 degrees fahrenheit. The pump gauge will tell you how much air pressure is in the tank. When pressure increases the diaphragm is pushed upward. The tank has two sections that are separated by a rubber valve.

Close the water to your home with the main shut off valve. The way that it works is this. If the extra volume has nowhere to go it pushes on the walls of your plumbing. Most of the time your tank is half water and half air.