Originally Posted By: pdacey This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
I had an agent contact me over the weekend about a house that has a small 6 gallon WH that serves only the master vanity. The inspector (not me) wrote it up because it did not have a t&p valve on it. She said she’s had 5 plumbers out to look at it and they all have said there is nothing they could do because there is no way to get the t&p drain to the exterior. She said some have even told her not to worry about it, it wasn’t a problem.
I have not seen the situation first hand and I have never seen a WH that small. My gut reaction is that a WH, regardless of size, should have a t&p valve. My suggestion was to investigate a small tankless WH for the vanity. Do they make them that small?
Am I wrong about the t&p valve on the WH? Would there be an instance that a WH would not require one?
Originally Posted By: dbush This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Pat, I was at Lowe’s over the weekend looking at water heaters and even the electric 6 gallon ones have TPR valves. As a matter of fact, the slide in truck bed camper that I am rebuilding for my inlaws has a TPR valve on the 5.6 gallon propane water heater. So I would say ALL water heaters need a TPR valve.
Originally Posted By: Blaine Wiley This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Remember the post in another thread that said the owner had blocked the T&P and the water heater shot some ugly distance out of the house like a rocket?
Unless it is a tankless water heater, regardless of size it should have a T&P, regardless of whether it drains to the exterior. I had a small boat with a 6 gallon water heater, and it had a T&P.
Originally Posted By: tgardner This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
All Fired (directly heated)pressure vessels are required to have a pressure relief valve per ASME pressure vessel code. Otherwise ,a water heater is just a thermal bomb with steam and sheet metal shrapnel.
Originally Posted By: kpapp This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
I would say call and get the make an model then do a search on it an give the feed back to the realtor…small freebie for the realtor but good business for you
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If you dont have time to do it right the first time, When will you have the time to go back and fix it?
Originally Posted By: jpeck This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
It is required to have a T&P relief valve (just like everyone is saying), and, yes, it will be difficult to drain it to the exterior. Somebody should have thought of that before installing it.
If they cannot drain the T&P relief valve to the exterior, I'd say get rid of the water heater. That 6 gallon size can't be doing much except trying to give them instant hot water. Recommend that other device which circulates small amounts of hot water back into the cold water supply line (mental blank precludes me from giving that devices name, I'm sure someone will post it).
Originally Posted By: rmoore This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Quote:
you can alway tell them to look into a Instant Hot
Not for a vanity Ken. The lower limit on those is 140F and they are preset at 190F. Besides temperature they have a very slow flow rate due to the 1/4" lines, the "faucet" is momentary only for safety, and only a small 1/2 gallon tank which would barely provide enough water to rinse your shaver. There is a hot and cold model but it's not really what I would call a mixer.
Great for making instant coffee in the kitchen though.
Originally Posted By: Guest This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
…for those of you that don’t know Richard Moore, realize that the IQ and humor factors here just took a quantum leap
I have five gallon tanks in my bath room vanities too. Each one is about a 1/2 mile from the main water heater and it used to take about 4 gallons of water waiting to shave each morning. I admit that the TPRV's are aimed at the cabinet back. I find a wet cabinet preferable to a leveled home.
Originally Posted By: pdacey This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Thanks guys. I suggested to the agent to investigate a small tankless water heater. We’ll see.
The shocking part is there have been a few plumbers that have told her there is nothing wrong with the WH not having a t&p. 
I tod her to have them put it in writing that they certify it is a safe installation and sign it. I'm sure they would find a solution then.
