Residential Water Expansion Tank

Common residential expansion tank looks like a small propane tank.

Residential water expansion tank.

Most expansion tanks are set to a pre charge of 20 psi when they leave the factory while the majority of residential water systems have significantly higher water pressure than that. Expansion tanks are designed to safely absorb the excess water created and prevent relief valves from triggering. All water heaters regardless of whether they use heating oil natural gas or propane or even electricity can suffer the negative effects of thermal expansion as the cold water coming into the tank turns to hot heated water increasing the overall water volume via expansion and increasing pressure inside the tank. How to install a residential expansion tank.

Xt 8 thermal expansion tank is the 2 gal. When water is heated it expands due to a phenomenon known as thermal expansion. To determine whether you need an expansion tank on your water heater you first need to understand what type of water heater you have what an expansion tank is and what size of an expansion tank you may need. What is a thermal expansion tank like.

Usually they are the same size as basketball depending more or less on the size of the water heater they. We offer a range of expansion tanks for potable and non potable applications. A water heater expansion tank is an additional small thank that is attached to your water heater unit. At the top it has an air valve like the one seen on most tires called schrader.

It is designed to handle that excess water that builds up. Before new plumbing regulations came into existence excess water from water heaters flowed back into the municipal water supply causing contamination. As the system pressure increases water enters the polypropylene lined water chamber of the tank expanding a diaphragm into. This means that whoever installed your tank was supposed to manually increase the tank s pre charge to match the water pressure at the time of install.

At the bottom there is a threaded pipe connection. Prevent permanent damage to your water heater with an expansion tank.