Posts Tagged ‘Thermal Expansion Tank’

Miller Plumbing Heating Cooling received a frantic call the other day from a new customer in Bridgeville PA. The customer  herd water gushing in their basement and found that washer hoses had burst. We helped them over the phone locate the main water shut off valve and a technician was sent out to diagnose the problem.

After arriving the technician tested the water pressure and found the water pressure at 125psi.The old water pressure regulator was defective and we found a back flow preventer at the water meter setup. A back flow preventer lets the water come into your house but prevents it from flowing or siphoning out in the event of a pressure drop or break on the main water main.

Back flow preventers cause a condition called thermal expansion. When water is heated it expands and even with a good water pressure regulator the water pressure will spike to a very high  level untill a fixture is used.

Thermal expansion will also cause your pressure relief valve on your water heater to drip. We replaced the defective water pressure regulator, installed a thermal expansion tank on the cold water line at the hot water tank and installed high pressure washer hoses to prevent future water damage.

If you live in a low area of Pittsburgh like Carnegie, Bridgeville, South Side, Lawrenceville and other areas where high water pressure is a problem we recommend a good brass 400psi water pressure regulator with a removable stainless steel screen or strainer. A thermal expansion tank is recommended it also helps eliminate water hammer problems. We also recommend setting the water pressure  between 60-75 psi. 

Miller Plumbing Heating Cooling

3131 Library Rd Pittsburgh PA

412-848-3253