Hi guys,
I'll try to describe my issue as best I can but I've attached a video and linked to some images below that might do a better job of explaining. Edit: Just noticed the video didn't upload. I'll try to upload to an external site and pop a link at the bottom when it's done. In the meantime look at picture 3 and you can see where the water if continuously flowing through - it's the diamond shaped, open black bit of "pipe" on the bottom-right of the image.
I've done as much research into electric HW tanks as I can (I'm a programmer not a plumber) in an effort to understand what is going on but I'm still not sure. Please forgive me if I use incorrect terms or get things dead-wrong. This whole "issue" might be perfectly normal and not actually an issue at all for all I know.
We moved into a new rented property about 3 months ago. The property has an electric water tank for the HW system. No CH as we only have electric heaters. Since we've moved in everything has been fine but yesterday I noticed (what I think is) a new phenomena. I could hear running water coming from the cupboard housing the HW tank. I've definitely not heard this before in the 3 months we've been living here.
Upon investigating I immediately saw hot water streaming out of what I think is some sort of pressure-relief or overflow pipe (see the linked video for reference). I don't know where this pipe goes to and I've not seen or heard this happen before (and it's a noticeable sound). It happens now every time the water has been heated/is being heated.
There is an expansion tank (I think that's what it is?) attached to the wall above the main tank (visible in the linked pictures) which is connected to it via the same pipe system that is feeding this pressure/overflow pipe thing, in kind of an upside-down T-junction affair. Judging by the temperature of the pipes no HW is getting to the expansion tank at all. The pipe is stone cold where it goes up to the expansion tank but hot everywhere else, implying all the hot water is going straight through the pressure/overflow pipe... and off to regions unknown.
I tried calling it through to the rental agency when I discovered it but they neither answered nor returned my messages and now they're closed for the weekend. Our rental agreement allows us to arrange our own maintenance in emergency situations and bill the agency for it, but if we do that for a non-emergency then we have to foot the bill. So, what I would like to know is; which one of the following applies...
1) This is not a problem and I'm just an idiot worrying about nothing. If so then great - job's a good'un.
2) This is a problem but it's not an urgent one - as in; it's not something that will cause any immediate damage or drama and won't cost us anything (in terms of high water bill for constantly running water etc.) If so then I'll wait until Monday and the agency can send maintenance around at their leisure.
3) This is a problem!! As in; it's either going to cause some damage somewhere or it's going to hammer our water bill whilst it's happening etc. If so then I'll call an out-of-hours plumber and bill the agency for it.
Thanks in advance guys. I appreciate any help/advice you're willing and able to give.
IMAGES: Hot water flowing out of electric water tank through pressure-release/overflow pipe?
I'll try to describe my issue as best I can but I've attached a video and linked to some images below that might do a better job of explaining. Edit: Just noticed the video didn't upload. I'll try to upload to an external site and pop a link at the bottom when it's done. In the meantime look at picture 3 and you can see where the water if continuously flowing through - it's the diamond shaped, open black bit of "pipe" on the bottom-right of the image.
I've done as much research into electric HW tanks as I can (I'm a programmer not a plumber) in an effort to understand what is going on but I'm still not sure. Please forgive me if I use incorrect terms or get things dead-wrong. This whole "issue" might be perfectly normal and not actually an issue at all for all I know.
We moved into a new rented property about 3 months ago. The property has an electric water tank for the HW system. No CH as we only have electric heaters. Since we've moved in everything has been fine but yesterday I noticed (what I think is) a new phenomena. I could hear running water coming from the cupboard housing the HW tank. I've definitely not heard this before in the 3 months we've been living here.
Upon investigating I immediately saw hot water streaming out of what I think is some sort of pressure-relief or overflow pipe (see the linked video for reference). I don't know where this pipe goes to and I've not seen or heard this happen before (and it's a noticeable sound). It happens now every time the water has been heated/is being heated.
There is an expansion tank (I think that's what it is?) attached to the wall above the main tank (visible in the linked pictures) which is connected to it via the same pipe system that is feeding this pressure/overflow pipe thing, in kind of an upside-down T-junction affair. Judging by the temperature of the pipes no HW is getting to the expansion tank at all. The pipe is stone cold where it goes up to the expansion tank but hot everywhere else, implying all the hot water is going straight through the pressure/overflow pipe... and off to regions unknown.
I tried calling it through to the rental agency when I discovered it but they neither answered nor returned my messages and now they're closed for the weekend. Our rental agreement allows us to arrange our own maintenance in emergency situations and bill the agency for it, but if we do that for a non-emergency then we have to foot the bill. So, what I would like to know is; which one of the following applies...
1) This is not a problem and I'm just an idiot worrying about nothing. If so then great - job's a good'un.
2) This is a problem but it's not an urgent one - as in; it's not something that will cause any immediate damage or drama and won't cost us anything (in terms of high water bill for constantly running water etc.) If so then I'll wait until Monday and the agency can send maintenance around at their leisure.
3) This is a problem!! As in; it's either going to cause some damage somewhere or it's going to hammer our water bill whilst it's happening etc. If so then I'll call an out-of-hours plumber and bill the agency for it.
Thanks in advance guys. I appreciate any help/advice you're willing and able to give.
IMAGES: Hot water flowing out of electric water tank through pressure-release/overflow pipe?
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