I had a new water heater installed and the instructions call for a drain
under the TPR valve tube.
The plumber who installed the water heater did not install a drain.

My question is:
Do I have to rip up the concrete floor to put in a drain or can I just
stick a plastic bucket under there to catch the water.

thanks
the sagacious dolt

the sagacious dolt wrote:
I had a new water heater installed and the instructions call for a drain
under the TPR valve tube.
The plumber who installed the water heater did not install a drain.

My question is:
Do I have to rip up the concrete floor to put in a drain or can I just
stick a plastic bucket under there to catch the water.

I've never had any connected to a drain but every now and then valve
will fail or burp so it is probably a good idea to put a bucket under
it.
Frank

the sagacious dolt wrote:
I had a new water heater installed and the instructions call for a drain
under the TPR valve tube.
The plumber who installed the water heater did not install a drain.

My question is:
Do I have to rip up the concrete floor to put in a drain or can I just
stick a plastic bucket under there to catch the water.

thanks
the sagacious dolt



A bucket would work in most cases because the amount of water from it
would be minimal. Another technique is to attach a garden hose long
enough to route the water to a place where it could drain. Perhaps a
drain or outside?

with no line going to a few inches off the floor, if it opens say from
too hot a passerby can get scalded.....

i would add some plastic pipe its cheap

if you run it to a garden hose outdoors, the valve might fail and leak
and you wouldnt know.

if the valve leaked at the tank woiuld it do any damage?

wrote:
with no line going to a few inches off the floor, if it opens say from
too hot a passerby can get scalded.....

i would add some plastic pipe its cheap

if you run it to a garden hose outdoors, the valve might fail and leak
and you wouldnt know.

if the valve leaked at the tank woiuld it do any damage?


The last question is key. Also keep in mind that if it should open
for any reason, there is also the possibility that it may not fully
close again. It's not uncommon for this to happen if you open/close
it for testing. Sometimes you will get some continuous leakage and
wind up replacing the valve.

AFAIK, code in most areas says there has to be a pipe from the TPR
extending down to within a certain distance (6"?) of the floor.
Whether you want or need more than that depends on where the water
would go and what damage it could do. And at the same time, I would
consider where the water from a tank leak would go. Also consider one
of the $10 water alarms, which can give you a heads up, especially if
the heater is somewhere that it will go unnoticed.

On Wed, 17 Jan 2007 06:45:46 -0500, " the sagacious dolt"
wrote:

I had a new water heater installed and the instructions call for a drain
under the TPR valve tube.
The plumber who installed the water heater did not install a drain.

My question is:
Do I have to rip up the concrete floor to put in a drain or can I just
stick a plastic bucket under there to catch the water.


Depends on whether you care what gets flooded
when the thing lets go, because it may not
close again.

the sagacious dolt wrote:
I had a new water heater installed and the instructions call for a drain
under the TPR valve tube.
The plumber who installed the water heater did not install a drain.

My question is:
Do I have to rip up the concrete floor to put in a drain or can I just
stick a plastic bucket under there to catch the water.

thanks
the sagacious dolt




The proper "complete solution" is to put an overflow pan under the
heater and the bottom end of the pipe running down from the TP valve.
The drain from the pan is connected through hose or piping to a real
drain or a point outside the building.

That way, whether it's the TP valve opening or the tank rusting out and
leaking, the water will be safely carried away.

Those overflow pans (plastic) are quite cheap, and very good insurance.

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.

" the sagacious dolt" wrote in message
...
I had a new water heater installed and the instructions call for a drain
under the TPR valve tube.
The plumber who installed the water heater did not install a drain.

My question is:
Do I have to rip up the concrete floor to put in a drain or can I just
stick a plastic bucket under there to catch the water.

thanks
the sagacious dolt


Along with the other good advice given, remember that one of the main
purposes of this valve is to prevent explosion by venting the water heater
if it should overheat because of a control malfunction. If it does this,
there will be a good sized burst of really hot water and probably some steam
blasting out of the valve. It is nice to have that blast directed somewhere
it does minimal damage and where you can get to the heater to shut it off.

Don Young

"Jeff Wisnia" wrote in message
et...
| the sagacious dolt wrote:
| I had a new water heater installed and the instructions call for a
drain
| under the TPR valve tube.
| The plumber who installed the water heater did not install a drain.
|
| My question is:
| Do I have to rip up the concrete floor to put in a drain or can I
just
| stick a plastic bucket under there to catch the water.
|
| thanks
| the sagacious dolt
|
|
|
|
| The proper "complete solution" is to put an overflow pan under the
| heater and the bottom end of the pipe running down from the TP valve.
| The drain from the pan is connected through hose or piping to a real
| drain or a point outside the building.


WHAT IF MY HOUSE DRAIN IS 3 FEET HIGHER THAN MY WATER HEATER?

|
| That way, whether it's the TP valve opening or the tank rusting out
and
| leaking, the water will be safely carried away.


MY PLUMBER PUT THE WATER HEATER ON 2X4 PT SLEEPERS.


|
| Those overflow pans (plastic) are quite cheap, and very good
insurance.


HOW DO I GET THE PLASTIC PAN UNDER THOSE 2X4'S?
OR SHOULD IT GO ON TOP OF THE 2X4 SLEEPERS?



thanks
the sagacious dolt


|

"Goedjn" wrote in message
...
| On Wed, 17 Jan 2007 06:45:46 -0500, " the sagacious dolt"
| wrote:
|
| I had a new water heater installed and the instructions call for a
drain
| under the TPR valve tube.
| The plumber who installed the water heater did not install a drain.
|
| My question is:
| Do I have to rip up the concrete floor to put in a drain or can I
just
| stick a plastic bucket under there to catch the water.
|
|
| Depends on whether you care what gets flooded
| when the thing lets go, because it may not
| close again.


BOY THAT WOULD SUCK TO GET STUCK.
CONSIDERING MY SHUT-OFF IS ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE WATER HEATER.
MAYBE A METAL BUCKET INSTEAD OF PLASTIC?

"Don Young" wrote in message
...
|
| " the sagacious dolt" wrote in message
| ...
| I had a new water heater installed and the instructions call for a
drain
| under the TPR valve tube.
| The plumber who installed the water heater did not install a drain.
|
| My question is:
| Do I have to rip up the concrete floor to put in a drain or can I
just
| stick a plastic bucket under there to catch the water.
|
| thanks
| the sagacious dolt
|
|
| Along with the other good advice given, remember that one of the main
| purposes of this valve is to prevent explosion by venting the water
heater
| if it should overheat because of a control malfunction. If it does
this,
| there will be a good sized burst of really hot water and probably some
steam
| blasting out of the valve. It is nice to have that blast directed
somewhere
| it does minimal damage and where you can get to the heater to shut it
off.
|
| Don Young



IS IT POSSIBLE TO CONNECT COPPER PIPE (FROM TPR VALVE) DIRECTLY TO HOUSE
DRAIN.

thanks
the sagacious dolt

Have you considered a Whole House Water Leak Detection ans SHUT-OFF
System ?
The FloodStopper is what you should look at. Check out
www.floodstopper.us and if you have any question, I can be reached at
.
Marc

the sagacious dolt wrote:
"Don Young" wrote in message
...
|
| " the sagacious dolt" wrote in message
| ...
| I had a new water heater installed and the instructions call for a
drain
| under the TPR valve tube.
| The plumber who installed the water heater did not install a drain.
|
| My question is:
| Do I have to rip up the concrete floor to put in a drain or can I
just
| stick a plastic bucket under there to catch the water.
|
| thanks
| the sagacious dolt
|
|
| Along with the other good advice given, remember that one of the main
| purposes of this valve is to prevent explosion by venting the water
heater
| if it should overheat because of a control malfunction. If it does
this,
| there will be a good sized burst of really hot water and probably some
steam
| blasting out of the valve. It is nice to have that blast directed
somewhere
| it does minimal damage and where you can get to the heater to shut it
off.
|
| Don Young



IS IT POSSIBLE TO CONNECT COPPER PIPE (FROM TPR VALVE) DIRECTLY TO HOUSE
DRAIN.

thanks
the sagacious dolt

the sagacious dolt wrote:

"Jeff Wisnia" wrote in message
et...
| the sagacious dolt wrote:
| I had a new water heater installed and the instructions call for a
drain
| under the TPR valve tube.
| The plumber who installed the water heater did not install a drain.
|
| My question is:
| Do I have to rip up the concrete floor to put in a drain or can I
just
| stick a plastic bucket under there to catch the water.
|
| thanks
| the sagacious dolt
|
|
|
|
| The proper "complete solution" is to put an overflow pan under the
| heater and the bottom end of the pipe running down from the TP valve.
| The drain from the pan is connected through hose or piping to a real
| drain or a point outside the building.


WHAT IF MY HOUSE DRAIN IS 3 FEET HIGHER THAN MY WATER HEATER?

They do make little automatic electric drain pumps for situations like
yours.

|
| That way, whether it's the TP valve opening or the tank rusting out
and
| leaking, the water will be safely carried away.


MY PLUMBER PUT THE WATER HEATER ON 2X4 PT SLEEPERS.


|
| Those overflow pans (plastic) are quite cheap, and very good
insurance.


HOW DO I GET THE PLASTIC PAN UNDER THOSE 2X4'S?
OR SHOULD IT GO ON TOP OF THE 2X4 SLEEPERS?

You undo the piping to the heater, drain the tank and ask a friend to
help you lift it so you can lip the pan under it. Probably doesn't
matter much whether the pan is above or below the sleepers if those
sleepers don't stick out beyond the periphery of the bottom of the
heater. The pan itself will be thin enough so the piping should go back
in place without requiring any changes.

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.

" the sagacious dolt" wrote in message
...

"Don Young" wrote in message
...
|
| " the sagacious dolt" wrote in message
| ...
| I had a new water heater installed and the instructions call for a
drain
| under the TPR valve tube.
| The plumber who installed the water heater did not install a drain.
|
| My question is:
| Do I have to rip up the concrete floor to put in a drain or can I
just
| stick a plastic bucket under there to catch the water.
|
| thanks
| the sagacious dolt
|
|
| Along with the other good advice given, remember that one of the main
| purposes of this valve is to prevent explosion by venting the water
heater
| if it should overheat because of a control malfunction. If it does
this,
| there will be a good sized burst of really hot water and probably some
steam
| blasting out of the valve. It is nice to have that blast directed
somewhere
| it does minimal damage and where you can get to the heater to shut it
off.
|
| Don Young



IS IT POSSIBLE TO CONNECT COPPER PIPE (FROM TPR VALVE) DIRECTLY TO HOUSE
DRAIN.

thanks
the sagacious dolt



Codes generally require an air gap and trap for connecting to the sanitary
drain and may not permit T&P valves to be so connected. Ask your local code
enforcement office. The best thing is to run a pipe, no smaller than the
valve outlet, to somewhere outside the house foundation.

Don Young