BDP
New Member
I try and research my plumbing issues before I call in the professionals just to be well educated, though am smart enough to know when not to DIY and call in pros like yourselves. However I am always wary of getting a fair shake with repairs so have a question.
Have a standard tank water heater in my home, 11 years old now. Started to leak water at a fairly regular rate from the release valve pipe. Opened it to flush it out and closed it and leak was even faster now (about a gallon an hour) so decided the value was bad, called the plumber to replace the valve.
Plumber got here, said at the minimum I needed both a new valve and an expansion tank. The expansion tank surprised me. He said without it, would just keep leaking even with a new valve. Also tried to sell me a brand new tankless water heater or high end heater at a pretty high price (which I won't get into here, I know we don't talk prices). The parts and labor on the tank and valve was also higher than expected.
At any rate, can anyone at least tell me if this is normal, to add an expansion tank to a standard water heater of this age when valve leakage happens? I can't take it back now, obviously, but I'd like to know for the future when dealing with this company. I guess I just didn't like the concept of trying to be sold a brand new unit when it was just the valve leaking and I knew that.
Thanks for any advice as always. If anyone wants to PM me I can give you the prices I paid/was quoted perhaps.
Thanks,
B.
Have a standard tank water heater in my home, 11 years old now. Started to leak water at a fairly regular rate from the release valve pipe. Opened it to flush it out and closed it and leak was even faster now (about a gallon an hour) so decided the value was bad, called the plumber to replace the valve.
Plumber got here, said at the minimum I needed both a new valve and an expansion tank. The expansion tank surprised me. He said without it, would just keep leaking even with a new valve. Also tried to sell me a brand new tankless water heater or high end heater at a pretty high price (which I won't get into here, I know we don't talk prices). The parts and labor on the tank and valve was also higher than expected.
At any rate, can anyone at least tell me if this is normal, to add an expansion tank to a standard water heater of this age when valve leakage happens? I can't take it back now, obviously, but I'd like to know for the future when dealing with this company. I guess I just didn't like the concept of trying to be sold a brand new unit when it was just the valve leaking and I knew that.
Thanks for any advice as always. If anyone wants to PM me I can give you the prices I paid/was quoted perhaps.
Thanks,
B.