[ShtRnsdownhill]

Then they can ban me. That’s all I’m telling you. That and the fact that I’m a 36 year veteran and I know this trade as good as anyone you’ll ever meet.

What part of my posts are incorrect ? Why do t you think I’m not a plumber ? Why do you think answering your questions will prove I hold a valid plumbing license that I sat for the tests ?


I’m 100% licensed master plumber and if that’s not good enough then close my account.

I was told by a super moderator on my intro thread to jump into any conversation.

Who are you and do you run this board ?

nothing wrong with your posts, but since you refused a proper intro, we get to break your balls for awhile, if you have thin skin..well it should be pretty thick if you have 36 years as a blue collar plumber...

 

[RichardBull]

nothing wrong with your posts, but since you refused a proper intro, we get to break your balls for awhile, if you have thin skin..well it should be pretty thick if you have 36 years as a blue collar plumber...

I had just found out my aunt is dying of Covid in the hospital. She was ill to begin with but that’s never a good thing to hear as you know.

 

[RichardBull]

How do y’all test with peppermint oil?? I’ve used it to locate a leak before and we poured it in the roof vent with about 5hallons of water behind it

this doesn’t answer your question but I use peppermint oil to rule out or confirm sewer gas odors for customers.,,

pour in All roof vents with a quart of hot water behind it. Works like a champ

 

[ShtRnsdownhill]

I had just found out my aunt is dying of Covid in the hospital. She was ill to begin with but that’s never a good thing to hear as you know.

people with underlying conditions have to be careful..its never good to hear a loved one is sick and the prognosis bad...best wishes for her...

 

[ShtRnsdownhill]

How do y’all test with peppermint oil?? I’ve used it to locate a leak before and we poured it in the roof vent with about 5hallons of water behind it

peppermint oil sucks to test with, once its in the pipe and smells, you only get 1 chance to find a leak, and if you fix the leak, the oil is on everything, so seeing if you actually fixed the leak is hard to do by smelling peppermint...smoke or water test is the way to go..

 

[RichardBull]

Question : Is there a safe pressure to use a water heater as an air tank ?

Typical 40 0r50 heater nothing huge.

 

[skoronesa]

Question : Is there a safe pressure to use a water heater as an air tank ?

Typical 40 0r50 heater nothing huge.

We use water heaters for air tanks all the time when blowing down houses for the winter. You valve off the heater and hook up your compressor to the drain(after draining of course), and then when it's up to pressure you open the valves and open each fixture individually to blow them out.

Of course not all heaters are conducive to this, some have actual checks that work well and not just rubber flaps like the new state heaters we install. In which case you must modify them or do something else.

They're just steel tanks. I went to an autobody "shop"(large home garage) where the guy had several old water heaters hoked together so he could spray cars using only a small quiet compressor. For painting one car a day it worked great. The thermal mass meant all the water got trapped in the heaters as it had to go through all of them.

 

[ShtRnsdownhill]

Question : Is there a safe pressure to use a water heater as an air tank ?

Typical 40 0r50 heater nothing huge.

NO..................unless you want a bomb..........................

 

[ShtRnsdownhill]

NO..................unless you want a bomb..........................unless the tank is hyro tested .........when water tanks let lose, water doesnt expand....air on the other hand expands violently.....water tanks are called WATER tanks for a reason...what you can do opposed to what you should do is 2 different things.....compressors are cheap compared to the hospital bill for a blown water tank being used as an air tank...

 

[RichardBull]

NO..................unless you want a bomb..........................

So you think 3 psi in a 50 gal tank is dangerous ? How about 15 psi .....how about 20.....

See the patteren there. When does it become dangerous.,

I could always bury it 2’ deep but........I may not need to.

 

[ShtRnsdownhill]

So you think 3 psi in a 50 gal tank is dangerous ? How about 15 psi .....how about 20.....

See the patteren there. When does it become dangerous.,

I could always bury it 2’ deep but........I may not need to.

watch some videos of steel tanks exploding with various air pressures..if the tank is weak and ready to go, it doesnt take much pressure to get hurt or killed...its sorta like gambling..you never know when its your turn to hit...

 

[RichardBull]

watch some videos of steel tanks exploding with various air pressures..if the tank is weak and ready to go, it doesnt take much pressure to get hurt or killed...its sorta like gambling..you never know when its your turn to hit...

So you don’t know. Thank you anyway.

 

[RichardBull]

I put around 80 psi on expansion tanks all the time. They’re small but they’re also cheap thin steel. If mounted in the horizontal position and the valve stem blew out, tank corrosion, it could shoot across the room similar to a bullet.

I guess my point is that it doesn’t have to be a big steel tank to hurt you.

Again the question is at what air pressure does a 40/50 gal water heater become dangerous. Is it .25 psi or 5 psi etc.

 

[ShtRnsdownhill]

So you don’t know. Thank you anyway.

I dont know the quality or how rusted the tank you want to use......so to tell you something without all the factors in cant be done..but anything over 20 psi could pose problematic..

 

[ShtRnsdownhill]

I put around 80 psi on expansion tanks all the time. They’re small but they’re also cheap thin steel. If mounted in the horizontal position and the valve stem blew out, tank corrosion, it could shoot across the room similar to a bullet.

expansion tanks for heat or domestic water? and the stem most likley would not shoot out, as the braze/weld holding it to the tank wouldnt sever all the way around for it to be lose to shoot away...

 

[RichardBull]

That’s just it, you never really know. I could hydrotest to double pressure then call it good.

 

[RichardBull]

expansion tanks for heat or domestic water? and the stem most likley would not shoot out, as the braze/weld holding it to the tank wouldnt sever all the way around for it to be lose to shoot away...

Do you feel the same about water heater bungs ? They’re welded in.

Shtrnsdownhill, I’m going to mark you down for 20 PSI. I appreciate your answer.

 

[ShtRnsdownhill]

Do you feel the same about water heater bungs ? They’re welded in.

anything filled with water wont explode like air..so you are comparing apples to oranges....why not just buy a compressor tank to use if you have to make an air tank?

 

[RichardBull]

anything filled with water wont explode like air..so you are comparing apples to oranges....why not just buy a compressor tank to use if you have to make an air tank?

I understand that hydtotests are safer, that’s why they’re done.

Well that’s just it, I don’t have to make an air tank if I can use a water heater, it’s made and has several ports already. It’s free, I have it, so I would have to spend any money. Way more time than money.

I wasn’t trying to compare the two other than if both are used for air. One would be smaller but same situation. Steel tank with air.

 

[skoronesa]

I understand that hydtotests are safer, that’s why they’re done.

Well that’s just it, I don’t have to make an air tank if I can use a water heater, it’s made and has several ports already. It’s free, I have it, so I would have to spend any money. Way more time than money.

I wasn’t trying to compare the two other than if both are used for air. One would be smaller but same situation. Steel tank with air.

Steel tears, it doesn't shatter like pvc. You're not trying to contain a sudden burst in pressure like you get with a pipe bomb.

I would take the insulation and jacket off. The tank itself is no more dangerous than any other thin steel tank like those found on a cheap air compressor. They hold 125psi of water they will hold 125psi of air. They will get pinholes and they won't just suddenly burst open.

Hydro testing them is kind of a moot point if you only do it once and never again. It will pass when you test it the first time, you going to test it again in 5 years when the condensate has corroded the bottom weld? Mythbusters got a new one to take like 1000psi before the bottom weld gave out. BUT it was of equal strength all the way around. Yours won't have corroded evenly all the way around so it won't give all the way around at once.

Store it in a place where it can jump and not injure anyone. Make sure you have a properly working relief valve of a sane rating and you'll be fine.