Quote:
quote:Originally posted by jobrien712342
PSI without heating the water ranges between 100-105.
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That's high, do you have a regulator? If so, it may be stuck or leaking internally. Domestic water should typically be about 40 - 50 PSI. Maybe up to 60 PSI. I get about 110 - 115 ahead of my regulator.
Heating the water will cause it to expand and increase pressure if the system is closed. But if you have no regulator, all it does is push a tiny amount of water back up the pipes. It can't increase the pressure beyond what you get from your utility company. On a regulated system, you can put an expansion tank on the cold side, usually near the heater. The tank is sort of like a water hammer arrestor on a grand scale. It's a little smaller than a 5 gallon bucket, and has a rubber diaphragm in it. One side is connected to the cold water, and the other is pre-charged with air to about 40 PSI. This gives the expanding water someplace to go, and reduces the pressure increase to nearly nothing. It's sort of like having springs and shocks on a car instead of having the body bolted firmly to the axles.
If you put in an expansion tank, consider putting a permanent pressure gauge near it. You can do it for well under $20, and any time anything strange happens with water, you can check the pressure immediately and conveniently.
-- J.S.