Stiebel Eltron 6 gal mini tank electric water heater

[Spiderman2018]

Hi All.

I just have a unit installed. Do I really need to have a discharge pipe installed?

The tank is filled with water and air has been purged. The TP relief valve is installed. If pressure gets too high I assume I would see leak from the valve. It’s at a small business and flooring is tile so a small amount of water on the floor is not a problem and the unit would be turned off when we’re not there.

I’ve been told that these units are sometimes installed under sink and most frequently a discharged pipe is not used.

Also the instructions say to relieve the valve once a month but at the risk of messing up the valve. So is that necessary?

Stiebel Eltron 235089 SHC 6 Mini-Tank Electric Water Heater, 6 Gallon, 1300W, 120V, 15-1/8" W x 20-1/2" H x 15" D

 

[Jadnashua]

From a safety viewpoint, a proper discharge pipe is a good idea. Keep in mind, if that valve ever needs to open for temperature or pressure, the outgoing water could flash to steam and be dangerous. Even if not that hot, it can make a mess of things. Discharging it down to a specific area is a good idea, and probably a code requirement.

I'm surprised the instructions say to test it monthly...most of them call for annual that I've seen.