I recently had a house inspection conducted on a house I intend to
purchas. The inspection showed that PVC (not CPVC) was being used as
the T&P drain. The inspector stated that this may not have been
against code when it was built (8 years ago), but was not considered
acceptable according to his standards.

Is it truly a concern that the hot water drained would cause problems
with potential melting of the PVC joints?

There is access in the attic to replace a portion of the PVC up to
where it goes into the wall. If I had the accessible PVC replaced with
copper into a holding tank that subsequently connects to the PVC, would
it be sufficient to cool the water enough?

Is there a flexible hose option - similar to hot water hoses that
connect to washing machines?

I want to avoid any interior work where the lines go through the wall
and drain outside.

Any thoughts?

wrote in message
against code when it was built (8 years ago), but was not considered
acceptable according to his standards.

It has been oK for the 8 years though, right?


Is it truly a concern that the hot water drained would cause problems
with potential melting of the PVC joints?

How often do you drain the tank and for how long? Flush the sediment once
or twice a year for three minutes? If yo are draining the tank to replace
it, the water is probably not hot anyway.



There is access in the attic to replace a portion of the PVC up to
where it goes into the wall. If I had the accessible PVC replaced with
copper into a holding tank that subsequently connects to the PVC, would
it be sufficient to cool the water enough?

Yes, but why bother?


Is there a flexible hose option - similar to hot water hoses that
connect to washing machines?

PEX would owrk

I want to avoid any interior work where the lines go through the wall
and drain outside.

Any thoughts?

My only thought is that you should just ignore it. Hot water under pressure
for extended periods of time is a problem, IMO, but this is hardly a real
use, has no pressure and probably not much temperature in reality. I'd just
forget about it.
Ed

wrote:
I recently had a house inspection conducted on a house I intend to
purchas. The inspection showed that PVC (not CPVC) was being used as
the T&P drain. The inspector stated that this may not have been
against code when it was built (8 years ago), but was not considered
acceptable according to his standards.

Is it truly a concern that the hot water drained would cause problems
with potential melting of the PVC joints?

There is access in the attic to replace a portion of the PVC up to
where it goes into the wall. If I had the accessible PVC replaced
with copper into a holding tank that subsequently connects to the
PVC, would it be sufficient to cool the water enough?

Is there a flexible hose option - similar to hot water hoses that
connect to washing machines?

I want to avoid any interior work where the lines go through the wall
and drain outside.

Any thoughts?

I would not worry at all. PVC is fine for that use. It is not fine for
full time pressure hot water use, but the T&P drain is not going to have
pressure and will only have hot water in it on rare occasions. Maybe CPVC
would be better, but I sure would not worry about it. I would prefer PVC to
a flexible hose.

Also note: "The inspector stated that this may not have been against
code when it was built (8 years ago), but was not considered acceptable
according to his standards." I suggest his standards are just that. I
don't believe (I could be wrong) that is generally a part of any building
standard.


--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

wrote:

I recently had a house inspection conducted on a house I intend to
purchas. The inspection showed that PVC (not CPVC) was being used as
the T&P drain.

No longer permitted. Should you worry? Nah.

There are probably MUCH bigger things wrong that the
inspector did *not* find! THOSE are the ones that should
keep you awake...

Jim

Jason,

This is hardly a deal breaker. The inspector admits that it was (and may
still be) acceptable practice to use PVC. He would prefer that it be another
material but that's just a personal opinion. The T&P valve is a fail-safe
and is not normally used. It is more than likely that no action on your part
is needed until the water heater is replaced. My advice is leave it alone
and don't worry about it. This is not a big deal.

Dave M.

wrote:
I recently had a house inspection conducted on a house I intend to
purchas. The inspection showed that PVC (not CPVC) was being used as
the T&P drain. The inspector stated that this may not have been
against code when it was built (8 years ago), but was not considered
acceptable according to his standards.

Is it truly a concern that the hot water drained would cause problems
with potential melting of the PVC joints?

There is access in the attic to replace a portion of the PVC up to
where it goes into the wall. If I had the accessible PVC replaced with
copper into a holding tank that subsequently connects to the PVC, would
it be sufficient to cool the water enough?

Is there a flexible hose option - similar to hot water hoses that
connect to washing machines?

I want to avoid any interior work where the lines go through the wall
and drain outside.

Any thoughts?

The PVC should be fine. As to the inspector he is inserting his
personal belief into a matter of code. If it isn't allowed 'now' fine,
but it was when it was installed and thus is grandfathered in. He
might not like it but that's just tough. This being an inspector he
has no enforcement powers, were it a code enforcer of some type
refusing to clear it, I would be at his supervisor's office
immediately.

Harry K

i had the same situation when i installed a new hot water heater.

i had to do some re-routing of the pvc from the t&p valve, so i used cpvc
coming out of the t&p, then used an adapter (cpvc to pvc)just before the pvc
went into the wall.

but, like the others said, i wouldn't worry too much about it.
wrote in message
oups.com...
I recently had a house inspection conducted on a house I intend to
purchas. The inspection showed that PVC (not CPVC) was being used as
the T&P drain. The inspector stated that this may not have been
against code when it was built (8 years ago), but was not considered
acceptable according to his standards.

Is it truly a concern that the hot water drained would cause problems
with potential melting of the PVC joints?

There is access in the attic to replace a portion of the PVC up to
where it goes into the wall. If I had the accessible PVC replaced with
copper into a holding tank that subsequently connects to the PVC, would
it be sufficient to cool the water enough?

Is there a flexible hose option - similar to hot water hoses that
connect to washing machines?

I want to avoid any interior work where the lines go through the wall
and drain outside.

Any thoughts?

"Joseph Meehan" wrote:

Also note: "The inspector stated that this may not have been against
code when it was built (8 years ago), but was not considered acceptable
according to his standards." I suggest his standards are just that. I
don't believe (I could be wrong) that is generally a part of any building
standard.


Furthermore, home inspectors are supposed to be pointing out visual defects
only. Codes are always evolving and a home built years ago will have multiple
things that don't meet current code. Pointing out things that don't meet current
code may make the inspector feel good, but are irrelevant.

"Clark W. Griswold, Jr." wrote in message
...
"Joseph Meehan" wrote:

Also note: "The inspector stated that this may not have been against
code when it was built (8 years ago), but was not considered acceptable
according to his standards." I suggest his standards are just that. I
don't believe (I could be wrong) that is generally a part of any building
standard.


Furthermore, home inspectors are supposed to be pointing out visual
defects
only. Codes are always evolving and a home built years ago will have
multiple
things that don't meet current code. Pointing out things that don't meet
current
code may make the inspector feel good, but are irrelevant.

You mean like GFCIs? Inspectors always note the non-existance of these
buggers in older homes. I think it's these details that the person that
hired the inspector likes to hear about. What a pain in the butt for the
seller though! Many buyers won't rest until everything is up to code, no
matter how insignificant the item is. Simply ignorance.

wrote in message
oups.com...

The inspection showed that PVC (not CPVC) was being used as
the T&P drain. The inspector stated that this may not have been
against code when it was built (8 years ago), but was not considered
acceptable according to his standards.

Standards are what national and local authorities
say are standards, enforced by legislation. The
inspector's preferences may be based on professional
experience but that does not make them standards.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

writes:
I recently had a house inspection conducted on a house I intend to
purchas. The inspection showed that PVC (not CPVC) was being used as
the T&P drain. The inspector stated that this may not have been
against code when it was built (8 years ago), but was not considered
acceptable according to his standards.

Is it truly a concern that the hot water drained would cause problems
with potential melting of the PVC joints?

There is access in the attic to replace a portion of the PVC up to
where it goes into the wall. If I had the accessible PVC replaced with
copper into a holding tank that subsequently connects to the PVC, would
it be sufficient to cool the water enough?

It's something my inspector cited on my home as a general safety item.
I guess the safety issue is that if that overpressure valve goes, and
the drain tube from it is made of PVC, it can melt and suddenly
instead of hot water or steam or whatever on teh floor, you now would
have it spraying everywhere.

Get off the inspectors' ass folks. It is a safety issue. How
important... I dunno. I've never seen the overpressure valve
activated on a water heater, and I'd know to turn off the water at the
main shutoff before going into that room. As such, I'd probalby
make the calculated risk of the "do nothing" option.

When flagged on my existing home, the seller said they weren't going
to do anything about that, and I bought anyway, and haven't had the
inclination to fix it either.

Many (possibly most) T&P valves have no pipe connected at all. In the
unlikely event of the valve actually doing what it is intended to do because
of a heat source cutoff failure, large amounts of boiling water and steam
would be released. If this should happen it would be good to have a pipe
direct the water and steam safely outdoors or down near a concrete basement
floor. Very unlikely, but possible.
Don Young
wrote in message
oups.com...
I recently had a house inspection conducted on a house I intend to
purchas. The inspection showed that PVC (not CPVC) was being used as
the T&P drain. The inspector stated that this may not have been
against code when it was built (8 years ago), but was not considered
acceptable according to his standards.

Is it truly a concern that the hot water drained would cause problems
with potential melting of the PVC joints?

There is access in the attic to replace a portion of the PVC up to
where it goes into the wall. If I had the accessible PVC replaced with
copper into a holding tank that subsequently connects to the PVC, would
it be sufficient to cool the water enough?

Is there a flexible hose option - similar to hot water hoses that
connect to washing machines?

I want to avoid any interior work where the lines go through the wall
and drain outside.

Any thoughts?

wrote:

Find something more important to worry about, such as your
wife. I heard a rumor she's sleeping with the building inspector.

Crap. Now I have to clean my keyboard up....

Don Young wrote:
Many (possibly most) T&P valves have no pipe connected at all. In the
unlikely event of the valve actually doing what it is intended to do because
of a heat source cutoff failure, large amounts of boiling water and steam
would be released. If this should happen it would be good to have a pipe
direct the water and steam safely outdoors or down near a concrete basement
floor. Very unlikely, but possible.
Don Young

Yes. I think it is part of the installation instructions and also code
in some jurisdictions. One time that the valve relieves pressure then
fails to seat fully would pay for whatever the charge is to properly
vent it, i.e., into a drain.

Harry K

wrote in message
oups.com...
I recently had a house inspection conducted on a house I intend to
purchas. The inspection showed that PVC (not CPVC) was being used as
the T&P drain. The inspector stated that this may not have been
against code when it was built (8 years ago), but was not considered
acceptable according to his standards.

Is it truly a concern that the hot water drained would cause problems
with potential melting of the PVC joints?

There is access in the attic to replace a portion of the PVC up to
where it goes into the wall. If I had the accessible PVC replaced with
copper into a holding tank that subsequently connects to the PVC, would
it be sufficient to cool the water enough?

Is there a flexible hose option - similar to hot water hoses that
connect to washing machines?

I want to avoid any interior work where the lines go through the wall
and drain outside.


Around here it has not been legal to use anything other metal pipe for the T
& P for at least the last 20 years. The pipe must be the same size as the
cold water line entering the water heater. The line must discharge to the
outside and must not terminate more than 4" above the finished grade.

Other than doing it to code, yours may be different, I can't suggest any
anything.

Colbyt