Expansion Tank Installed On Hot Water Side
The hot water line is a normal enough place to install one for hot water expansion especially if there is a check valve on the line entering the hot water tank for preventing thermo siphoning it s not be the best choice from a hot water efficiency point of view though since the water in the expansion tank will tend to cool and that means a slug of cold ish water will come out before any hot water does.
Expansion tank installed on hot water side. How to install an expansion tank on a water heater step 1. When selling our house the buyers inspector insisted we have an expansion tank installed on our hw water well system which also had a pressure tank. Locate the cold water supply line and determine which part of it runs horizontal side by side to the water. Install an expansion tank on the hot side.
Read the pressure requirement on the side of the tank. Determine the size of water heater expansion tank you will need. Typically the tank is only required to be supported when installed in the horizontal position. You install the expansion tank down the line from the inlet valve that sends hot water into your home.
Obtain a suitable thermal expansion tank based on the size of your water heater. In general the tank can be installed vertically above or below the plumbing or horizontally. Having an expansion tank helps prevent dripping faucets and running toilets by keeping the extra built up pressure in the system from reaching the fixtures and prematurely damaging them. The expansion tank is usually installed horizontally though it is acceptable to install it vertically if it is necessary because of space limitations.
Expansion tanks are normally installed above the water heater on the cold water line before it enters the water heater. The most common recommendation seems to be to install the tank vertically below the plumbing. Called our local plumbing and said in the 25 years of doing work on well systems he had never installed an expansion tank on said well. Most smaller tanks are designed to be supported by the plumbing when installed in the vertical orientation.
This is based on how many gallons of water your. Water expands by roughly 2 as it heats up from 50 f to 120 f. The tank has two sections that are separated by a rubber valve. I have a new 3 8 gal xpan tank on my cold side of a 78.
When your water thermally expands a water heater expansion tank prevents unwanted increases in pressure. It would actually work on either side since they are both within the system so to speak per watts the tanks are rated to 150 psi 200 degrees. This is usually between 40 and 60 psi.