PRV pipe dripping....Is this dangerous?

[Wyluq]

I rent in an apartment complex. The floor under the tank was bowing which made the tank lean and misalign the exhaust vent. Maintenance came and put a thick piece of plywood under it to shore it up. I learned that the floor pan under it is made of gypcrete which is obviously degraded. After they drained and refilled the tank so they could stick the plywood under it, the pipe leading away from the Pressure Relief Valve kept leaking. ( I learned this part name by a diagram on the internet) They came twice to "fix" it. Their fixes looked mainly like they put sticky stuff on the screw threads where the pipes meet. The remaining water drips seem to be coming from where the pipes are just slid together inside each other but not joined with any connectors. It is still dripping. It's not voluminous dripping, just some steady wetness there. Is this a dangerous situation? What do I need to tell maintenance about this situation so I get them to diagnose and fix the problem correctly? Just trying to understand and manage this the best I can. Thank you for your help.

 

[Phog]

Your T&P is no longer sealing, which is common as they get older. The T&P needs to be able to open properly for safety purposes. It's what protects you from the tank exploding in the event of a burner malfunction.

If you want to, you can test the T&P by pulling out on the lever and seeing water come out the discharge tube. There will be a lot of water, so you'll want to make sure to position a bucket underneath first. (Also make sure you know how to turn off the water supply valve to the heater tank, in case the T&P gets stuck open during your test) .

A dripping, leaky T&P valve is not an immediate danger to you as long as it tests out properly when you pull the lever. However, having dripping water leaking out onto the floor is going to cause damage to whatever is underneath & can also cause a mold problem.

Even if not an urgent safety issue, this water heater sounds like it's on its last legs.

 

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[Wyluq]

Thank-you phog for taking the time to answer. I feel relieved to know that it isn't an immediate danger and grateful to now be able to have an informed conversation with maintenance folks about what is going on.

 

[Reach4]

the pipe leading away from the Pressure Relief Valve kept leaking. ( I learned this part name by a diagram on the internet)

Does that T&P relief valve release water, even if you dribble hot water at a very low rate, from a hot water faucet? If not, the valve may be doing its job and releasing water with 150 psi pressure.

Usually it would not matter if you dribble water from a cold vs hot for that test, but with an apartment building it is not for sure that the cold to your faucets is the same cold as supplies your WH.

 

[Wyluq]

Hi Reach4,
First of all, thank you for your information!
I did what I thought was your experiment. I'd like to explain what I did and tell you what happened to make sure I am understanding correctly.
I wiped the drip area dry. I sent a timer for 10 minutes then rechecked it.
After 10 minutes, there was a little drip/wetness there .
I then wiped this drip area dry.
Then I turned on my kitchen sink hot water and let it dribble for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes I re-checked the drip area to see if it would be wet again, or dry.
It was wet again.

Does this then indicate that the valve is NOT doing its job? And if so, does this bode any kind of immediate or potential danger?

Thank you for helping me understand this.

 

[Wyluq]

Thank-you phog for taking the time to answer. I feel relieved to know that it isn't an immediate danger and grateful to now be able to have an informed conversation with maintenance folks about what is going on.

Hi again phog,
Just wanted to let you know that I did not do the test you suggested because the discharge tube for the T&P valve is wrapped around behind the tank and I cant get to the end of it with a bucket. (yikes!)

 

[Reach4]

Not that the term "PRV" is not normally used to describe the temperature and pressure relief valve on the water heater. Usually that is used for a pressure reducing valve for incoming city water.

fter 10 minutes I re-checked the drip area to see if it would be wet again, or dry.
It was wet again.

Does this then indicate that the valve is NOT doing its job? And if so, does this bode any kind of immediate or potential danger?

Yes, it indicates to me that the T&P valve is leaking.

This is not dangerous as long as the valve can open more. It does waste water and heat energy.

Replacing a T&P valve is easier than many projects. It may take a couple of big wrenches, however. In an apartment, you don't want to do it yourself for various reasons. But I would think that if you were to tell maintenance that your T&P valve is leaking and needs replacing, they would get on it with a medium priority. If the valve did not open more when you tried to operate the lever, that would be a higher priority, because that is a safety thing.

It's also possible that after you open the valve by lifting the lever, it will close back. It is possible that it will stick open even more.

 

[Wyluq]

OK got it. I'll contact them again and let them know it's still leaking. Thank you for your clarity and your kindness.

 

[Jeff H Young]

call landlord report to them

 

[Jadnashua]

FWIW, it's almost impossible to stop a leak by applying a glue or cement from the outside of the joint. Generally, you must take the joint apart, then reassemble it properly to stop a leak. But, in the case of a valve, and especially on a T&P valve, if the actual valve is leaking, you might get it to stop if you were to open it which MIGHT flush out some crud that is holding it open partially, but often, it just needs to be replaced as it's getting old. Note, often they tend to last about the same time as the tank, so a new tank would come with a new T&P valve installed.

As was mentioned, a T&P valve that can't open is a safety issue. One that is leaking is an annoyance. That valve is designed to open if the pressure is >150-psi, or the temperature exceeds 210-degrees F. If it doesn't in those conditions, that's when it becomes a safety issue.

 

[Jeff H Young]

I look but don't touch at old crap like that. unless someone paying me its hands off. If im renting a hotel same thing I don't touch the plumbing, i just report to maintenance problems