Quote:
Originally Posted by New Englander
I never had expansion tanks on water heaters up north so I don't know much about them. I take it there is not suppose to be any water in that tank. So if water goes into this expansion tank the water heater will release all forty gallons? How do I check this out to make sure mine is okay. By just looking, it appears to me the expansion tank is just screwed on. What is evolved in replacing it?
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The expansion tank is designed to be about one half full of water and one half full of air. The water and air are separated by a diaphram that is flexible. The installer pumps air into the expansion tank to a pressure of about 60 PSI. Since air easily expands when the temperature and/or pressure increases, it works to maintain a constant water pressure in your house, by providing an air cushion. Without an expansion tank, your water pressure can greatly increase when the water heater heats up because water does not expand very much in a closed system. This is especially true if you have no plumbing leaks and all of your fixtures are turned off. The air pressure in the expansion tank can be checked just like the tire pressure on your car. And, you can increase or decrease the air pressure with a simple bicycle pump.