Mark your territory

Pipe Rat said:

Why would you need to drain the tank? It has a bladder in it. It won’t get water logged.

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You drain it when it goes bad and you need to change it.....

My peeve is when they get installed nipple up. I install my dom. hot exp. tanks nipple down, preferably hanging on rod if they have the nut welded to them.

WashingtonPlung said:

I can send you a mounting brack for that tank.

Also does no one install a boiler drain with there expansion tanks so you can easily isolate the tank and drain it with out killing the hot water.

View attachment 135838

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Just add air before you isolate it.

skoronesa said:

You drain it when it goes bad and you need to change it.....

My peeve is when they get installed nipple up. I install my dom. hot exp. tanks nipple down, preferably hanging on rod if they have the nut welded to them.

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Preaching to the choir, that.

skoronesa said:

Just add air before you isolate it.

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Then you have to drag in an air compressor. i'd rather have a drain.

WashingtonPlung said:

Then you have to drag in an air compressor. i'd rather have a drain.

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Do you stock an expansion tank in your van? Do you make a run to the supply house? Or do you diagnose the problem and schedule a return visit?

Just leave a faucet dripping and you won’t need an expansion tank

WashingtonPlung said:

I can send you a mounting brack for that tank.

Also does no one install a boiler drain with there expansion tanks so you can easily isolate the tank and drain it with out killing the hot water.

View attachment 135838

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WashingtonPlung said:

Then you have to drag in an air compressor. i'd rather have a drain.

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How do you tune them when you install them?

I read somewhere valving an exp tank is bad. Last one I saw i used it to change the tank and left it. The employees weren’t going to be touching it.

skoronesa said:

Do you stock an expansion tank in your van? Do you make a run to the supply house? Or do you diagnose the problem and schedule a return visit?

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I take care of the same 30+ buildings plumbing. So I can do both 😂

DDDave said:

How do you tune them when you install them?

I read somewhere valving an exp tank is bad. Last one I saw i used it to change the tank and left it. The employees weren’t going to be touching it.

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That's why we take the handle off if there's a valve. The only problem with a valve on an expansion tank is someone can turn it off if they don't know better. Tank leaks, someone just shuts the valve and leaves a note that never goes anywhere.

Most of the houses we work on that require an expansion tank are the kinds of houses with a property manager who keeps things straight, so often we will put in a valve to make our lives easier.

WashingtonPlung said:

I take care of the same 30+ buildings plumbing. So I can do both 😂

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Well see that's not a normal service plumbing scenario. No need for a drain in my case because first service call is diagnosis, I add air to get them by till we return. Upon return just shut cold to heater, drain some from the bottom of the heater and the air I added last time will empty the tank for me.

Y’all sure making a big deal out of changing expansion tanks.

Just turn the water off and unscrew it. Screw new one in. I charge it up to 90 psi then bleed it down to match house line pressure and then screw it in.

Terrys never had a problem with it.

skoronesa said:

Well see that's not a normal service plumbing scenario. No need for a drain in my case because first service call is diagnosis, I add air to get them by till we return. Upon return just shut cold to heater, drain some from the bottom of the heater and the air I added last time will empty the tank for me.

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Even when I was a service plumber I installed a valve and a drain. but there is many ways to skin a cat.

I’ve never seen a valve or drain dedicated for an expansion tank. Sounds like a waste of time and fittings, and therefore money. A rag and a bucket are coming in if there’s a drain or not. Why complicate it, to save yourself 45 seconds every 5 years it needs swapped out?

Lickitlikeafritter said:

I’ve never seen a valve or drain dedicated for an expansion tank. Sounds like a waste of time and fittings, and therefore money. A rag and a bucket are coming in if there’s a drain or not. Why complicate it, to save yourself 45 seconds every 5 years it needs swapped out?

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the valve is a good idea but we rarely see them...and I dont care to do that neither
I have gotten some calls where the expansion tank tricked the owner into thinnking that
their main water shut off to the home was broken because the expansion tank kept
pushing water through the lines for about 4 minutes or more....
I suppose the expansion tank could literally flood the shi/ out of a house before it finally
loses pressure

masterplumbermark said:

the valve is a good idea but we rarely see them...and I dont care to do that neither
I have gotten some calls where the expansion tank tricked the owner into thinnking that
their main water shut off to the home was broken because the expansion tank kept
pushing water through the lines for about 4 minutes or more....
I suppose the expansion tank could literally flood the shi/ out of a house before it finally
loses pressure

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What the f are you talking about? An expansion tank had flow for four minutes? On a water heater at a house?


This ought to be good.

jakewilcox said:

What the f are you talking about? An expansion tank had flow for four minutes? On a water heater at a house?


This ought to be good.

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He couldn't even bother to post an intro, what kind of guy do you think he is?

Lickitlikeafritter said:

I’ve never seen a valve or drain dedicated for an expansion tank. Sounds like a waste of time and fittings, and therefore money. A rag and a bucket are coming in if there’s a drain or not. Why complicate it, to save yourself 45 seconds every 5 years it needs swapped out?

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I'm with you, I've never seen an isolation valve (is that code legal?) nor a low point drain. Hell, prep the new tank and swap it out while water is gushing out if we wanted to compare ideas.

skoronesa said:

He couldn't even bother to post an intro, what kind of guy do you think he is?

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Ask Jerry, I have a sneaky suspicion. Or, good joke!

TerryTotoSucks said:

There’s no need for a bracket.

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Pipe Rat said:

Our supply house delivers at no extra charge. Here’s the last one I did. Why make it easy for a handyman or homeowner to install the next one? No flex lines or Handy Andy fittings here View attachment 135832
View attachment 135833

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I am curious about the foil tape on the single wall vent pipe. Is that a requirement in your jurisdiction? I have never seen that as a requirement. The vent for a Catagory 1 appliance is under negative pressure. The IFGC has very little information on installation requirements of single wall "vent" pipe. Very little on specifics as to how sections of single wall vent pipe are to be fastened together, sealed, supported. I am an oldtimer, and we always used at least 3 screws in each joint of single wall vent pipe. Never used tape. Anybody have jurisdiction requirements that go farther than screws in each joint? Such as how often the vent must be supported horizontally? For instance IFGC Chapter 5 vents says All portions of single wall metal pipe shall be supported for the design and weight of the material supported. That leaves a lot up to the discretion of the AHJ.