On Sep 3, 6:07 pm, David wrote:
Hopefully someone can offer some guidance on a problem I have with my
water heater.

It would seem that the boneheads that built my house 7 years ago
failed to put the hot water heater in a location where the T&P relief
valve can safely dump water to a drain. The water heater is installed
in a small closet, below grade, and was placed on top of carpeting,
underlay, and then the concrete foundation. I didn't even realize
that it was normal for the T&P relief valve to activate periodically -
I thought it was in the event of a catastrophic failure, but I now
know that's not the case.

I just noticed that the carpeting is completely soaked, and there's
mold growing in the carpet. I'm pretty sure it's not leaking from
anywhere, so I have to assume the T&P relief valve is doing its thing.

There's no drain anywhere near the heater. Is there another
alternative to placing a bucket under the drain tube?

On a side note, I'm not quite sure why the T&P valve would be
activating so much lately, unless it's because we've been using more
hot water since the arrival of our first child. I don't think the
moisture problem in the water heater closet has been going on for
long. I've been checking the drain tube periodically, and it doesn't
appear there's a slow leak or anything.

Any advice?

Thanks for all the quick advice, everyone. I was going by the manual
for the heater (GH Wood Series Pro model JW525, which appears to have
an 8-year warranty), which suggests that periodic opening of the T&P
valve is normal.

Looks like I'll have to bring in a plumber no matter how you slice
it. At least if it's the heater itself that's leaking, it seems to be
still under warranty. I've got a jug under the T&P valve just to see
if anything happens between now and when I call in the plumber
tomorrow.

It doesn't appear to be a thermostat that's gone (the water is 133.5
F, by a pretty accurate thermometer). It would've been too easy if it
were something that simple - I could've handled that on my own
(electronics technician).

The pressure could be a problem. I had a PEX joint start to leak
about a year ago, and the plumber (who didn't have a pressure gauge)
turned down the pressure regulator at the main shutoff (it was wide
open). Perhaps it needs to be turned down even further.