Originally Posted By: Steve Williams This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
It looks like basement water heater. Line on right is fresh in through the basement wall, up to the pressure regulator which then feeds the cold water side of the water heater as well as the main supply above.
Looks like the TPR hole is plugged.
The shut off valve on the hot water side isn't a bad idea. I have the same thing. If you ever have to replace the water heater, you shut it to keep the upper floors from draining back in the tank. It takes long enough to drain one of these beasts without adding the upper floor's water back into the tank.
I bet there was a main water shut off just inside the block wall.
Originally Posted By: dedwards This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
If the cold water inlet is the one on the left it is just plain wrong. The cold water actually does not enter the tank at the top but at the bottom through the dip tube inside the tank. The inlets on the top are clearly marked with red and blue rings around the respective inlet pipes. Looks a homeowner installed unit. If it is as you say the cold on the left the system is not going to work properly at all. The “pressure valve” (that is the biggest damn valve Ive ever seen on a water heater) is about 18 above the tank. If it were a TPR valve it has to be in the first six inches of water at the top of the tank. Looks pretty hosed up to me. Make them start over and this time make em read the instructions. Dammit.
Originally Posted By: kmcmahon This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
dedwards wrote:
If the cold water inlet is the one on the left it is just plain wrong. The cold water actually does not enter the tank at the top but at the bottom through the dip tube inside the tank. The inlets on the top are clearly marked with red and blue rings around the respective inlet pipes. Looks a homeowner installed unit. If it is as you say the cold on the left the system is not going to work properly at all. The "pressure valve" (that is the biggest damn valve Ive ever seen on a water heater) is about 18 above the tank. If it were a TPR valve it has to be in the first six inches of water at the top of the tank. Looks pretty hosed up to me. Make them start over and this time make em read the instructions. Dammit.
It's what I reported...but not in so many "descriptive" words! 
