We are renovating a house and had this gush water out of the small hole in the centre once both the hot and cold taps were turned on full pressure in the shower. It’s of the cold water feed just before it goes into the top of the cylinder. It damn near flooded the room before we noticed it.
Anyway, can anyone help me identify the part, the likely failure ie gasget or I-ring, is it fixable or need a replacement. Am I better of just calling a plumber?
Thanks in advance.
bill1451,
Feb 12, 7:12am
by the look of it, its a vacumn break device, by the way the cold water goes in the bottom of the cylinder, hot water out the top, as water is heated it rises to the top, What this device is I have no idea, maybe in case you sometimes get an air lock, meaning you get little or no hot water, and this device releases the vacumn,
johotech,
Feb 12, 7:20am
It's a pressure (and vacuum) relief valve. When you opened both taps in the shower, it will be forcing mains pressure water back to the hot water cylinder. The water came out that valve so that it doesn't blow the cylinder.
Usually there is only a small amount of water coming out that valve going to the drain point (without coming out that hole), as the water is heated and expands in the cylinder.
The hot water system is probably plumbed up incorrectly, or you've changed something like the shower connections or shower head, and now the mains pressure cold water can pressurise the cylinder.
It's possibly that the drain connected to that valve is blocked, but unlikely - unless you changed something that blocked it.
Call a plumber.
twcw428,
Feb 12, 7:23am
Cheers Johotech, it’s a rental property we have. I do recall the property manager telling us some time ago that the shower head needed replaced, which was done by their handyman. I suspect that may be the case then.
5425,
Feb 12, 8:35am
Also installed in hot water line to faucets in case someone blocks off outlet mains pressure water cant go into low pressure hot water heater system.
twcw428,
Dec 26, 9:20am
Would a tampered with reducing valve be a likely cause, I.e wound in far. I’m wondering if the tenant left us a going away present before exiting.
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