Gas Water Heater Expansion Tank

Install your expansion tank.

Gas water heater expansion tank.

Common residential expansion tank looks like a small propane tank. Usually they are the same size as basketball depending more or less on the size of the water heater they serve. You install the expansion tank down the line from the inlet valve that sends hot water into your home. This ultimately protects it from damage.

2 now the question is how to install an expansion tank on a gas water heater. The tank has two sections that are separated by a rubber valve. Determine the size of your thermal 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.

Water expands by roughly 2 as it heats up from 50 f to 120 f. Find the cold water supply. The expansion tank serves as a backup system to prevent overworking your plumbing. 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.

Turn off the gas. At the bottom there is a threaded pipe connection. At the top it has an air valve like the one seen on most tires called schrader. Determine the water pressure.

Turn off the water supply. When your water thermally expands a water heater expansion tank prevents unwanted increases in pressure.