Water heater installation affecting condo central heating system?

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Steven1971

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I had a water heater replaced by a plumber about a year and a half ago. I recently turned on the heat to my condo unit and noticed cool air blowing out. I was told that the water heater installation has something to do with it because a section was capped off. So, that section (in picture) should be uncapped and then reconnected to the water heater drain valve (originally I think that was how the connection was). Any thoughts? Also, should both of the blue turn valves (in picture) be opened after the connection? Thank you.
 

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Reach4

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Shall we presume that this is the first time that you tried to get heat since the water heater was replaced?

It sounds as if the person (off the street ;) ???) said that the heat for those condos comes from the water heater of each unit. The new water heater should have been piped in to do the job, but it was not-- perhaps because the plumber was told that the water heater's job was to provide hot water for the plumbing. So I would try to check a similar condo. It does seem likely that the capped pipe should have been connected to the water heater. I am thinking that connection would be better done by a 3/4 inch NPT brass nipple screwed into the water heater where the plastic drain currently is rather than a garden hose thread adapter connected to the plastic drain valve. So if that pipe is to pass water, then yes, the valve would need to be open.

Your over-temperature and over-pressure (T+P) valve seems to be feeding its output into some insulation bundle. That will eject hot water under certain conditions. If that T+P valve is connected to the pipe that has the valve on it near the floor, that is not good. There should not be a valve in the path of the T+P valve output. Open valve would be better than closed, but having a valve that might get closed could be catastrophic.
 
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DonL

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It looks to me like the Condo once supplied Heating and Hot water.

Then that Heater was Installed and caped off, from the central heating.

Where is that water heater located ? That T&P valve should not have a way to restrict flow, It looks like in has a shut off Valve going onto the floor ? If so that valve needs removed and drained into the pan, If that as allowed where you live.

Could be also that electric heating was installed, and you are barking up the wrong tree.

Some condos that have shared central water heating, do not fire up the boilers until it gets cold.


I am just guessing.


Good Luck.
 
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Steven1971

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Thank you for your thoughts. Sorry for some missing information. The water heater is located in a hallway closet inside the condo unit. The old water heater broke and flooded the unit so we had it replaced. From what I recall, I think the reason the plumber capped off the pipe was because we were concerned about another leak.

Yes, I believe prior to replacing the water heater, we had heating in the condo unit. Just recently, we tried using the heating and noticed only cool air blowing out. So, we called a HVAC company and the technician identified the problem as the bottom pipe being capped. I think he said that because it is capped, air is not being heated via the water heater to be blown out, so that is why we don't have heating to the unit.

I think before, there was a connection from the capped pipe to the drain valve. It may have been an elbow connection with one end to the capped pipe and the other end still being able to be connected to a hose to drain water out.
 
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Terry

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I think you need to look at the neighbors installation.
My guess is that you have the wrong type of water heater installed, and that the installer had no idea what he was supposed to do.
 

hj

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1. Your T&P valve discharges into that vertical line, whatever it is
2. That vertical line has a valve on the bottom of it
3. The above two items means that the T&P valve is improperly installed.
4. That vertical line should not be connected to the heater's drain outlet, because it is were that vertical line would be pressurized and water would leak out of the T&P valve.
5. I do not know HOW it should be connected if it has something to do with the heating, but what you are asking about should NOT have any thing to do with it.
 

MACPLUMB

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You guys are missing the t&p drain makes a down turn then goes up and out the wall !
the way to correct is to cut the wall open and tie the t&p drain lower down,
but you have to check with the Condo assc as any thing inside the walls is theirs,
#2 at the top left of the heater is a tie in to the HOT Water pipe to feed your heater system,
the drain at the bottom is the cold water return to the heater, !
with a boiler drain hosebib to drain down the pipe to disconnect
and yes the proper way would be to tie in with a tee to maintain the drain, and then the the blue valves need to be open,

and by the way in case you did not know you did not have a real licensed PLUMBER notice the whirlpool water heater which is a loxxxs special
and go to the permanent post about whirlpool flameguard water heaters,
 

Steven1971

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Thank you everyone for your replies.

Yes, we bought the hot water heater at the local Lowxxx and had the installer put it in. I guess he was a handyman type plumber. Did we buy the wrong type of water heater?
 

Dj2

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Do as Terry suggests, go to a neighbor and take a photo of their WH, then post the photo here.
Just looking at your photos, I see that your T&P is plumbed wrong.
 
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