I was mentored by a couple of inspectors early in my career who told me to NEVER test a TPR valve on a water heater, so I never did. Then I started hiring inspectors fresh out of inspection school (in Texas) who told me during their practicum, they were told to do so, so I tried it ONCE and the dang thing wouldn’t close!
So what is the story? Test or not?
This shouldn’t be a tough decision.
Morning, Kevin. Sorry I forgot to welcome you to the InterNACHI community message board. As well I missed you are in Texas.
Welcome to the InterNACHI community message board!
What does your state SoP say?
I tested water heater TPRV if/when they leak.
Most of the time they continue leaking, but every now and then they stop leaking after several quick tries.
I suggest if it is not required to avoid the practice. InterNACHI plumbing SoP: visually inspect the Temperature and Pressure Relief (TPR) valve, not to physically test it.
If you do go beyond SoP, know what you are doing and wear PPE!
Good luck.
Robert
That is my wag.
What does the TEXAS SOP say to do?
Welcome to the forum Kevin.
IMHO You should be telling them what to do, not the other way around.
I don’t, but my state SOP doesn’t require me to either. Yours may.
Here’s the way I see it:
The manufacturer requires the homeowner to operate the valve once a year. They also require that a licensed plumber remove the valve every two to four years to inspect it. If I cannot verify via a service label on the water heater that the valve has been inspected, it’s due to be inspected and I refer it out to a plumber.
FYI, I’ve never seen a service label on a water heater that listed the valve as being inspected, so…..
If you do operate the valve, make sure you test it according to the manufacturer instructions, that there is a properly installed drain line connected to valve that directs the flow of hot water to a proper place of disposal. Otherwise, you should not operate the valve and refer it out to a plumber.
If the valve continues to flow after you operate the valve, or doesn’t flow at all, it’s a reportable deficiency.
Come on, that’s the interesting part of the story….what’d you do about that? 
You appear to be in the San Antonio area of Texas??
TREC Rules 535.231(b)(1)(ii)(XII)
report as Deficient:
a temperature and pressure relief valve that failed to operate, when tested manually.
Unless you have a valid reason for not testing the TPRV then you are in violation of the rules if you are not testing them. You should be well aware of this as we are required every two years to take an SOP review course.
Yes it certainly sucks when they will not close. However if you very gently tap it that may cause the valve to re-seat/close. In any case it is a failure of the TPRV and requires reporting.
That is why we do not test TPR valves (or shutoff valves). Unless, of course, you like paying for a plumber to come out on an emergency call to stop the leak before it does damage to the home.
Why would you operate a valve that has the potential of causing “damage to the home” anyway? The manufacturer’s instructions require that there is a properly installed drain line connected to valve that directs the flow of hot water to a proper place of disposal. Why would you operate the valve if that wasn’t in place?
And if you do operate the valve, and it continues to flow, didn’t you just identify a defect? Why would the inspector have to pay for a plumber?
Good point. But, it might still get you an angry call from the seller to fix the problem. Personally, I just do not want to deal with that. Like others, I inform the seller/buyer that the TPR valve should be tested annually.
Me too, but it seems that Texas inspectors do not have an option.
I’ll step into the quagmire…The TPR valve is an important safety device. Check out any one of the three episodes that the Myth Busters did on water heaters and disabling the TPR. And that yellow tag on the TPR says in some different ways, but basically that it should be regularly tested and/or replaced every two to four years. So, I test them when I can do it without risk of damage to something in the area. Shor nuf, I find some that don’t shut off. That’s a defect that I am paid to find and report. I disclaim when I don’t test them. Yup, this is beyond the Nachi SoP, but I’ll bet every one of you do something that is beyond the SoP. I am there to protect my client and I deem this to be part of my job.
And BTW, here’s my approach to testing them.
Spin the toggle/lever. If it is stuck, I report it and move on
If the toggle spins freely, I gently but firmly pull on the lever. They should smoothly and easily open. If there is resistance, I report it as defective and move on.
Sometimes, the lever easily opens, and water gushes. I close the lever but continue to get a drip. Most of the time, a tap on the spine of the lever with my screwdriver seals the valve and stops the drip. Per the yellow tag, it should work perfectly anytime it is tested, so that is a defect.
This is not a stump issue for me. If you choose not to test the TPR, then you are in the majority, but I recommend that you disclaim them in your report. For the poor Texans, looks like you are testing them.
On the other hand…(funny, someone recently bitched about me offering contrary advice, but I have always tried to see the various sides of an issue). For those of you who do not test this valve, you have a defensible position. Water heaters and even stuck TPRs are remarkably safe appliances and devices. Some years ago, when I was studying this and arriving at my decision about it, my research did not find a single example of a water heater exploding because of a stuck TPR. Every single case of an exploding water heater involved disabling or removing and plugging the TPR port.
I just used AI to research this. CoPilot claimed there were documented incidents of exploding water heaters due to defective TPRs, but they are rare. I then reworded my question to ask for the documentation and CoPilot confessed that it could not find any, but still claimed they happen.
So, it looks like the conclusion from my earlier research remains unchanged. History tell us that even stuck TPRs will do their job.
Not trying to take this thread off topic, but this is a perfect example of the right way to use AI. Trust but verify, it’s not much different than asking a human being their opinion about a question.
You are correct and this, in general, would be a valid reason for us not to test the valve. If I see mineral deposits around the valve stem I won’t run it as apparently it has been leaking. Of course we are required to report we did not test it and why. Obviously any intelligent Inspector would take pictures of it not only if but if not tested.
Unfortunately there are various items we have no choice on and some are plain dumb!
Yes it is always a good point to let clients know they are to be tested annually. Of course how many do after they buy the house? I suspect very few if any but you have performed another CYA action that we unfortunately must have many of.
IMO, this falls under the same category as reporting that something needs “Monitored” and “Maintenance”.
When you inform a Client of this necessity for testing, is it expressed verbally or in writing in your report?
Seems to me, (especially) when in your report, it would behoove an inspector to include (generic) standardized instructions on how to do so, as well as referring them to the Manufacturers Operating Manual.
MY reports are not to train a buyer how to maintain their homes. It is there to identify issues. We can use the report for training clients of their responsibilities but where does it stop? The report would wind up containing way more training items than actual issues as every system, aspect of a home requires some recurring maintenance.
I do tell them about the TPR if there is a problem with it or if it is not tested. At that time I will tell them it should be tested annually. The only time I place that in a report is if there is a problem to let them know most likely it has not been tested annually. I do the same thing with other recurring maintenance items when issues are found.
The TREC Standards of Practice states that the inspector should report as Deficient:
However, TREC also states that the inspector is not required to:
As such, you need to have a standard comment about your reasoning for not testing a TPR valve ready to select in your software or to put into your reports.
You surely will find a ton of reasons why an open valve that won’t close could damage many of the properties that you are inspecting. It would be in your interest to photograph those reasons and put them in your reports, as well.
After following this discussion, I am almost there considering starting to test TPR valves when it is safe to do so. However, what is holding me back is, man, TPR valves are so exceedingly simple in design, basically a precision metal rod with specific thermal properties, a calibrated spring, outer casing and a rubber seal. Sure, the rubber seal gets old and starts to leak, but sticking enough to actually cause catastrophic failure? If there is water coming out of the TPR valve piping, I inform my clients to call a plumber: either the water heater is dangerously over-heating (extremely rare) or the TPR valve is leaking and needs to be replaced (exceeding common).
