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PLUMBING TOPICS
OIL TANKS
SEPTIC SYSTEMS
WATER PRESSURE REGULATOR ADJUST
WATER PRESSURE REPAIR GUIDE & COSTS
WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS GUIDE
WATER PRESSURE & FLOW MEASUREMENT
  WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL ADJUSTMENT
  WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL REPAIR
  WATER PRESSURE REGULATOR ADJUST
WATER PUMPS & WELL TANKS
WATER PUMP CONTROLS & SWITCHES
PUMP TYPES & LIFE EXPECTANCY
WATER PUMP & TANK SAFETY
WATER SUPPLY & DRAIN PIPING
WATER TANK TYPES: WATER, OIL, EXPANSION, ALL
WATER TANK LIFE EXPECTANCY
WATER TANK REPAIRS
WATER TANK AIR, HOW TO ADD
WATER TANK BLADDER PRESSURE ADJUSTMENT
WATER TANK PRESSURE CALCULATIONS
WATER TANK SIZE & VOLUME
WATER TANKS HOW THEY WORK
WATER TESTING
WATER TREATMENT EQUIPMENT CHOICES
WELLS CISTERNS & SPRINGS
  Basement Wells
  Cisterns
  Drilled Wells - steel casings
  Driven Point Wells
  How Much Water is In the Well?
  How to Test Well Water Quantity
  How to Get More Water From a Well
  Hand Dug Wells
  Springs as Water Supply
  Well Pits
  WATER PRESSURE LOSS
  WATER TANK TYPES
  WELL CLEARANCES
   US-HUD/FHA WELL CLEARANCES
   US-EPA WELL CLEARANCES
  WELL LIFE EXPECTANCY
  WELL PIPING CHECK VALVES
  WELL PIPING FOOT VALVES
  WELL PUMP TYPES & LIFE EXPECTANCY
  WELL PUMP PRIMING PROCEDURE
WELL CHLORINATION SHOCKING PROCEDURE

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Home Water Tank Safety, Relief Valves, Electrical Switches
InspectAPedia®  -    

  • Home Water Tank Safety, Water Tank Relief Valves, Water Tank Electrical Switches
  • Well pump & water tank diagnosis & repair procedures
Our site offers impartial, unbiased advice without conflicts of interest. We will block advertisements which we discover or readers inform us are associated with bad business practices, false-advertising, or junk science. Our contact info is at InspectAPedia.com/appointment.htm.

This article describes Home Water Tank Safety, Water Tank Relief Valves, Water Tank Electrical Switches, how to use them, adjust them, or where they should be installed. Readers of this document should also see Water pump and pressure tank repair diagnosis & cost an specific case which offers an example of diagnosis of loss of water pressure, loss of water, and analyzes the actual repair cost. The illustration at page top is courtesy of Carson Dunlop, Inc. in Toronto.

Water tank pressure relief valves are discussed here at WATER PUMP & TANK SAFETY. At Relief Valves - Water Heaters we discuss temperature and pressure relief valves used on residential water heaters. For a general discussion of temperature and pressure relief valves used as safety devices on heating boilers and other pressurized please see Relief Valves - TP Valves. Pressure relief valves (that sense pressure only, not temperature) are also required on pressurized tanks such as water tanks in buildings.

© 2009 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

PUMP & TANK SAFETY - Water pump and water pressure tank or water storage tank safety advice

While you're on the topic of water pumps, tanks, and controls, here are some safety tips about water pressure tank relief valves and electrical safety around this equipment.

  • Photograph of a water pressure tank control valve In this photo, the small brass fitting to the right of the black drain valve is a pressure relief valve needed on any pressurized tank. On your water system these components may be located differently.

    Tank rupture hazards: can damage equipment or injure someone nearby. Every tank which is pressurized (such as by water or air) should have a pressure relief valve installed - a safety device required by building codes in many jurisdictions.

    Most water tanks operate at relatively low pressures, up to perhaps 60 psi. (Higher water pressure in buildings tends to cause leaks at faucets and toilets.)

    But in the unlikely event that a pump pressure control is damaged and refuses to turn the pump OFF, pressures in the system, particularly if a submersible (in-well) pump is installed, can become high enough to rupture a water tank. This is particularly true if the tank is old, rusted, or otherwise damaged.

    The water tank pressure relief valve shown in our photo (above left) is marked indicating that it will open at water pressure equal to or greater than 75 psi. That pressure is pretty standard. But check with the manufacturer of your water tank to determine if a different relief valve opening pressure is required.

    If a pressure relief valve is not installed on your water tank ask your plumber to provide one promptly.
  • Trip hazards wet floors can cause slips and falls - be careful.
  • Electrical shock hazards: can be fatal. Do not touch electrical controls in a building, such as a pump power electrical switch, if you're standing on a wet floor.
  • Fatal Electrical Shock Hazard if you remove the cover of the pump pressure control switch (discussed above at ADJUST PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL) you can get access to the two nuts that adjust the operating pressures of the water pump. But watch out! There are also live electrical contacts exposed in this area. If you touch them, especially being near water piping, there is a serious risk of death by electrocution. Watch what you touch, or have a professional plumber or electrician do this job for you.

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Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

PLUMBING TOPICS
OIL TANKS
SEPTIC SYSTEMS
WATER PRESSURE REGULATOR ADJUST
WATER PRESSURE REPAIR GUIDE & COSTS
WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS GUIDE
WATER PRESSURE & FLOW MEASUREMENT
  WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL ADJUSTMENT
  WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL REPAIR
  WATER PRESSURE REGULATOR ADJUST
WATER PUMPS & WELL TANKS
WATER PUMP CONTROLS & SWITCHES
PUMP TYPES & LIFE EXPECTANCY
WATER PUMP & TANK SAFETY
WATER SUPPLY & DRAIN PIPING
WATER TANK TYPES: WATER, OIL, EXPANSION, ALL
WATER TANK LIFE EXPECTANCY
WATER TANK REPAIRS
WATER TANK AIR, HOW TO ADD
WATER TANK BLADDER PRESSURE ADJUSTMENT
WATER TANK PRESSURE CALCULATIONS
WATER TANK SIZE & VOLUME
WATER TANKS HOW THEY WORK
WATER TESTING
WELLS CISTERNS & SPRINGS

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07/09/2009 - InspectAPedia.com/water/WaterTankAir.htm - © 2009 - 1988 Copyright Daniel Friedman All Rights Reserved - InspectAPedia® is a Registered U.S. Trademark