TPR drain pipe termination

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1

Originally Posted By: rray
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The TPR drain pipe should terminate 6-12 inches above the floor or ground. Why? What’s the purpose? What’s the logic or reasoning?


![icon_twisted.gif](upload://xjO326gspdTNE5QS3UTl0a0Rtvy.gif)

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Home inspections. . . .
One home at a time.

2

Originally Posted By: dbush
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Russel, the idea is so that hot water is not splashing back at the person who is trying to get into the water heater to turn it off. That is why it states no more than 6" above the ground per IRC. Around here, most of them terminate in the crawlspace instead.


Dave

--
Dave Bush
MAB Member

"LIFE'S TOUGH, WEAR A HELMET"

3

Originally Posted By: Kevin McMahon
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So it can terminate closer to the floor than 6-12"?? I was questioning that myself…maybe it’s also to prevent sprayback up from the floor too. icon_question.gif

–
ABC Home Inspection, LLC

4

Originally Posted By: jpeck
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The codes want it within 6" of the floor or ground. Watts wants it at least 6" above the floor or ground.

–
Jerry Peck


South Florida

5

Originally Posted By: rray
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My jurisdictions go with 6-12 inches above the ground.


I prefer 12 inches myself, at the base of the water heater. I put a 5-gallon pail under the termination and monitor it regularly to see if the TPR valve has released any water. If so, I call my plumber. My water heater sits on a path between my home office, the laundry room, and the kitchen, so I can monitor it regularly. We had two water heater explosions in San Diego County in 2003, none so far this year. And I come from a railroading family, so I understand how these boilers can explode. On my next go-round, I'm going to go multiple tankless water heaters. No seismic straps required, no TPR drain pipe, etc. And the few homes I've inspected with them things have really impressed me.

This person had the right idea, just didn't think big enough:

http://www.nachi.org/bbsystem/usrimages/31AAA.jpg

![icon_twisted.gif](upload://xjO326gspdTNE5QS3UTl0a0Rtvy.gif)

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Home inspections. . . .
One home at a time.

6

Originally Posted By: rjones1
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I like to think that most of these types of requirements were developed for a reason, even though I wasn’t in the room when the discussion was taking place.


I imagine that they (the code makers) wanted the pipe close to the floor so that no one was likely to get hurt if they happen to be in the area when the valve let go. I also imagine that they decided to keep it off the floor a little bit so that it could be detected should the valve let go, or leak.

Running the pipe into the crawl does not allow for resonable detection. If the pipe goes through the floor, I write that up as a defect. Now, if the pipe is a few inches above a drain pan, and the pan drains into the crawl, that appears to accomplish the goal without making a mess on the floor. I don't measure how far the pipe is from the floor, but I try to make sense of the set up I'm looking at, at the time. If it accomplishes both the safety and the detection criteria, I move on to something else.

I NEVER exercise the valve. I don't want to be standing in the utility room, with my client, trying to figure out how to unstick a stuck-open valve.

I do, however, recommend to my client that when, or if, they do install a NEW water heater, to exercise the valve once a month (while they're doing their monthly smoke detector test) in order to make sure it's in working order and to keep the crud from building up on the valve. This is part of my maintenance recommendations segment should the buyer be following me around.

I don't inspect for code, but I try to inspect for reasonableness, otherwise I'd have to write a book on most of the homes I'm in.

Am I making any mistakes here?

--
Rich Jones
General Inspections, Inc.
Perrysburg, OH

7

Originally Posted By: rray
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I’m pretty much with you, Rich. I call it a home inspection, i.e., general in nature, another term for reasonableness. I like that term, reasonableness. I’m sure the JP’s of the world won’t like it, though.


![icon_twisted.gif](upload://xjO326gspdTNE5QS3UTl0a0Rtvy.gif)

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Home inspections. . . .
One home at a time.

8

Originally Posted By: jnguyen
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I dont have a licence yet or anything but I know TPR should terminate outside 6 - 12 above grade and pointed down. Guess things are different in Texas. TREC says not to operate TPR but says to note if it doesn’t function. How are you gonna know if it functions or not if you can’t test it?

–
Duct Tape can fix anything.

9

Originally Posted By: jpeck
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jnguyen wrote:
I dont have a licence yet or anything but I know TPR should terminate outside 6 - 12 above grade and pointed down. Guess things are different in Texas. TREC says not to operate TPR but says to note if it doesn't function. How are you gonna know if it functions or not if you can't test it?


Does TREC say "not to operate" or "do not have to"?

--
Jerry Peck
South Florida
10

Originally Posted By: pdacey
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From TREC SOP:


(k) Water heaters. The inspector shall:

(3) report as in need of repair temperature and
pressure relief valve piping that lacks gravity drainage,
is improperly sized (no smaller than the outlet fittings),
has deficiencies in material, or lacks a correct
termination;

(4) report as in need of repair a temperature and
pressure relief valve that does not operate when the valve
is of an operable type and operation will not cause
damage to persons or property as reasonably determined
by the inspector (for example, it would be reasonable not
to operate the valve if there is improper or undetermined
termination of the drain pipe, a corroded or damaged
valve, improper installation of valve or drain pipe, the
drain pipe is of inappropriate material or there is no
water supply cut-off valve at the unit);

I do not operate the T & P valve.

--
Slainte!

Patrick Dacey
swi@satx.rr.com
TREC # 6636
www.southwestinspections.com