Water Heater Pop-Off Valve Services

Water Heater Pop-Off Valve Replacements

Need to replace your hot water heater T&P valve? Looking for a quality plumber in Gwinnett County to help you with this? If you are seeking assistance with your T&P valve or anything to do with your water heater, then trust Gwinnett Area Plumbers today. Our licensed and insured team provides same-day and emergency pop-off valve services. Warranties are available on every job. Call today to get started.

Facts About the T&P Valve

Every water heater, gas or electric, should have a temperature and pressure relief valve, commonly called a pop-off valve or T&P valve. Your water heater isn’t safe without one. It’s so important, in fact, that many states require factories to install T&P valves rather than leaving the decision to homeowners and installers.

The pop-off valve is crucial because a water heater is a pressurized tank, and all such tanks need a way to release pressure if it becomes too great. As water is heated, it expands, increasing pressure. If something goes wrong and the tank overheats, the pressure could rupture the tank. To prevent this, the T&P valve monitors both water temperature (210 degrees maximum) and tank pressure (150 psi maximum) and opens if either goes too high. 

The T&P valve is the only protection against both excessive pressure and high temperature. Both electric and gas water heaters have thermostats, and electric ones also have overload switches (the red button above the top thermostat). But if the city raised its water pressure without telling you and if your water heater was set at a high temperature, the tank could rupture. Without a working T&P valve, a pipe could blow off the heater (after its plastic or solder melts) or the tank could explode.

The overflow pipe that drains from the pop-off valve needs to be rated to withstand this high temperature and pressure. The preferred material is copper, but other acceptable materials include galvanized steel and CPVC rated to withstand 150 psi and 210 degrees (this is NOT standard white PVC).

Remember, don’t risk more damage by attempting to handle the problem on your own, or worse, delaying your attention the issue. Contact our team as soon as possible if you suspect anything is wrong with your water heater or pop-off valve. This can be a dangerous do-it-yourself job because of the pressure involved.