Potable Water Expansion Tank Leaking

The reason you need an expansion tank is because of thermal expansion.

Potable water expansion tank leaking.

For example a 50 gallon water heater can be supplied by a 2 gallon expansion tank. If the leak comes from the pipe fiting seen at the top of the tank. This is called thermal expansion. I can t tell from the photo if it s on the heating system or on the home water supply.

Unequal water to air ratios caused by a built in barrier failure pressure valve leakage or low air pressure in the expansion tank cause problems with the system s efficiency so troubleshooting may. You can also drain the water into a bucket if you don t have a hose available. If you have several heaters in the same system or connected you can equip each heater with an expansion tank or you can use a single larger expansion tank. When this happens excess water is immediately sent to the expansion tank to lower pressure levels inside the water heater.

It may be leaking from the threads in the tank since the tank is wet on the outside. Leaks tend to travel down with gravity if you see evidence of a leak above the tank then it s likely at the top of that evidence not the bottom. But sometimes due to wear and tear your expansion tank may start leaking. And the tanks are finished with appliance quality paint to help prevent external corrosion.

What is the life expectancy of expansion tanks. The system has a stainless steel sleeve to prevent corrosion something no other manufacturer offers. The expansion tank s purpose is to protect your house s hot water system from excessive pressure which can cause damage to fixtures your water heater lines. Remove the intake pipe from the boiler to the circulator.

Turn off the valve that feeds water from the boiler to the expansion tank. Inspect the expansion tank to determine where the leak is located. A 40 gallon water heater can create an extra gallon of volume when it is fully heated. When water is heated or the hot water is shut off quickly the tanks filled with both air and water will equalize the resulting water pressure.

A hot water expansion tank is a small metal tank usually 2 5 gallons that s installed just downstream of the cold water inlet valve that feeds your residential water heater. Step 3 repair expansion tank. Try shutting off the water and unthreading the tank. These potable water expansion tanks feature a 100 butyl diaphragm and plastic liner to separate the system water from the tanks air precharge.

Then re tighten the threads using teflon tape and thread sealant on the threads. If the tank is on the hot water heating system then it s there to relieve expansion from the water being heated. When water in a tank water heater is heated the molecules speed up and as they do they require more space.