In our busy lives we often forget about less important things and one of those often forgotten items is usually the water heater. After all, the appliance readily produces hot water when we need it and it rarely fails it function. Ignoring the water heater in your home could cost you energy efficiency, waste a lot of money and even damage parts of the home or injure innocent bystanders.
To understand how these things might happen you need to know a little about the common water heater. They are basically simple systems consisting of a tank for holding water, a method of heating the water and a way to control that heating system. On the tank will be several threaded openings. Two at the top are for the cold water inlet and the hot water outlet. On the side of the tank will be a threaded fixture for the pressure relief valve and overflow line. You should also find a valve on the bottom of the tank capable of holding a garden hose or similar fitting.
Each of these items have a specific function on a water heater, some of which are obvious while others are there as safety features. The two fittings on the top allow fresh water to enter the tank for heating and exit to flow throughout the home. The valve on the bottom of the tank is generally used for flushing any scale deposits or dirt out of the tank.
One of the more important fittings on the tank is the pressure release valve. Hot water expands causing pressure when heated and in a confined space such as a water tank the extra pressure can put stress on the seams. If enough pressure builds up the tank could explode. If the tank is inside a home the damage potential is rather high. Click here for more details.
