Water Heater Repair and Installation in Stone Mountain, GA

A water heater is a pressure vessel. It holds water at whatever pressure the supply delivers, and every heating cycle makes that water expand. When pressure runs high, the strain shows up as a dripping relief valve, leaking fixtures or a shorter heater life, so a call for water heater repair sometimes turns out to be a pressure problem. In Stone Mountain homes, a few checks sort out which.

Name the heater first

If a vent pipe leaves the top of the tank and a gas line comes in at the bottom, it is gas. If there is no vent and a cable feeds the top, it is electric. A wall-mounted unit with no tank is tankless; it stores little water, so thermal expansion matters far less. More on each: gas water heaters in Stone Mountain, electric water heaters and tankless water heaters. Alpha's water heater overview compares the three side by side.

How pressure and expansion work

Water expands as it heats. In an open system, the extra volume pushes back toward the public main. Many homes, though, have a check valve, a backflow preventer or a pressure-reducing valve on the supply, which closes that path. The expansion then has nowhere to go, and pressure climbs each time the burner or elements run, until someone opens a tap or the relief valve lets water out.

Signs pressure is too high

• The temperature and pressure relief valve drips after the heater has been running.
• Toilets refill on their own, or faucets drip again soon after new parts.
• Pipes bang, or water bursts out hard when a tap first opens.
• A gauge on an outdoor faucet reads high, or rises while the heater runs with no water in use.

A simple pressure gauge threaded onto a hose bib shows the static pressure, and the manufacturer's instructions and the code in force set the limits for your equipment.

Expansion tanks and the relief valve

A thermal expansion tank on the cold line gives heated water room to expand, so pressure stays steadier. Its air charge should match the house pressure, and a tank that has filled with water, which often sounds dull when tapped from top to bottom, no longer does its job. The relief valve is the last safeguard: never plug or cap it, and replace it if it keeps dripping once pressure is under control. If it is discharging hot water or steam, stand clear, turn the gas control to off or switch off the breaker, and call. A leaking tank needs its cold-water valve closed, and a gas smell means leaving the house and calling the gas utility or 911 from outside.

Permits in Stone Mountain

The city's building department asks people to contact City Hall before starting any construction, even work they believe needs no permit, and warns that skipping a required trade permit can bring delays and penalties. Its plumbing permit application lets an owner apply with a homeowner's affidavit, while a contractor applies with license documents.

Questions about water pressure and water heaters in Stone Mountain

Do I need an expansion tank if I have a pressure-reducing valve?

Often, yes. Most pressure-reducing valves keep water from flowing back toward the main, which makes the house a closed system, so the expansion from heating has to go somewhere. Whether a tank is required for a particular installation depends on the code in force and the setup, so ask when the heater or the valve is replaced.

Can high water pressure shorten a water heater's life?

It adds strain. Pressure that rises with every heating cycle flexes the tank and its fittings and works the relief valve, and high static pressure stresses every connection in the house. Bringing pressure into a normal range with a working reducing valve and an expansion tank helps the heater and the fixtures alike.

Have the pressure checked

If the relief valve drips or fixtures keep leaking, call Alpha Plumbing and Sewer at (404) 409-4448 to have the pressure and the heater checked together.