Electric Hot Water Heater Expansion Tank

It is used to absorb excess water pressure.

Electric hot water heater expansion tank.

The water heater expansion tank serves as an overflow receptacle by absorbing excess water volume that occurs when water is heated as well as absorbing fluctuations in the incoming water supply pressure. A closed plumbing system a unit that prevents water from flowing back into the city s water lines once it enters a home s plumbing is referred to as a closed plumbing system. The expansion tank serves as a backup system to prevent overworking your plumbing. Since water expands when it is heated due to thermal expansion the water heater creates extra water volume every time it heats water.

When water is heated or a hot water faucet is turned off abruptly pressure builds from expanding water molecules. What size expansion tank do i need. The hot water expansion tank is a two gallon tank that hangs off of your hot water system or your boiler. The excess water volume instead of causing too much pressure on the plumbing rushes into the expansion tank and lowers the pressure in the water heater to safer levels.

When an expansion tank is installed the extra water volume automatically rushes into the tank. This ultimately protects it from damage. New or larger expansion tanks may be needed due to pressure reducing valves check valves and backflow preventers added to the community s water system. Hot water heater tanks are not designed to expand so you need an expansion tank otherwise it may eventually burst.

As water heats inside the water heater and exceeds the capacity of the tank the overflow rushes into the expansion tank. When your water thermally expands a water heater expansion tank prevents unwanted increases in pressure. A water pressure gauge sizing expansion tanks for water heaters can be a complex engineering challenge but residential expansion tank sizing has been simplified through the use of calculators. Water expands by roughly 2 as it heats up from 50 f to 120 f.