Spa visitors often enjoy a session in a sauna or steam shower. This has prompted many people to want a steam feature at home as they redesign their bathrooms. A home spa is a wonderful addition, but there is no need to renovate an entire bathroom just for the benefits of a steam shower. Here is what all homeowners should know about steam showers before they begin.
Locating Your TPR Valve
Most hot water tanks will have their TPR valve right on the tank. The valve should sit somewhere near the top, front-facing part of the tank. On some tank models, you can find the valve directly on top of the tank. You should see a valve that connects to a discharge pipe.
If you have a valve but no pipe, you should have a plumbing professional install one. If you see no valve on your hot water tank, make sure to check all around the tank. Some older tanks have no valve at all, and you should consider replacing such tanks as soon as possible.
Additionally, if the discharge pipe doesn’t point straight down, you may need to have an inspection to ascertain if it’s configured correctly. Sometimes the pipe is too short, damaged, or pointed in the wrong direction.
Understanding Your TPR Valve
Your hot water tank builds up both heat and pressure. If you’ve ever heard of a tank exploding, that was likely because of too much heat or pressure in the tank.
The TPR valve opens to release heat and pressure by letting out hot water. Once some hot water leaves the tank, cooler water comes in to replace it. Once the tank settles back within proper heat or pressure thresholds, the valve will close.
TPR draining works through gravity. This is why the drainage pipe needs to point downwards. If the pipe has a bend or becomes trapped, it can’t drain properly.
When working properly, the valve should shoot hot water out and not just leak it. If you have a perpetually leaky valve, then you may need to replace it. You can usually tell if it leaks when a puddle starts to form under the discharge pipe.
Equally, if the valve never activates, you can have a faulty valve or a drainage pipe that needs replacing. However, a well-functioning tank may never reach heat or pressure thresholds that cause the valve to activate.
If the valve stays open or discharges water frequently, you may have a plumbing or tank issue that causes a constant heat buildup or increased pressure. All these things can help you ascertain if you have a larger problem with your tank or plumbing or just a problem with your TPR valve.
Most TPR valves will have a test feature that allows you to manually discharge water. If nothing comes out when you test the valve, have a plumbing service come take a look.
Maintaining Your TPR Valve
As a mechanical component, the valve is just as prone to wear and tear as any other component. An old tank that never had its valve checked or replaced is a prime candidate for immediate TPR valve replacement.
If the valve doesn’t seem to operate as it should, then replace it. This also applies to the drainage pipe. Even if you have no issue, you should consider replacing the valve every five years .
When you look for replacements or discuss the valve with a professional, understand that the TPR valve goes by many names. You may see:
No matter the term, consider the health of the valve as an important part of your overall home maintenance routine. At Quality Plumbing, we offer professional plumbing repair services. Contact us for help with your TPR valves or to find out more about transitioning to a tankless water heater.
The total process from booking a service call, by phone, to the installation of a steel reinforced waterline hose on our refrigerator, was a pleasurable experience. A retired plumber recommended QP. Jeff had to pull out the refrigerator, remove the plastic waterline, install the new waterline, check to make sure the water dispenser was working and put the refrigerator back. Jeff was careful and mindfull of our wooden floor as the refrigerator was in a built-in cabinet. Since we live in a condo we want to eliminate all possibilities for a water leak. Jeff not only did his skillful job, he also educated us on the different water supply lines. I would recommend QP.
- Janeine G.
Quality Plumbing did a rough-in plumbing install for a bathroom and kitchen sink in my basement. Very communicative, helped plan the space, and did a great job on the install. Will be using them again!
- Ian H.
Called them when my water heater broke, they were over same day with a new one. Logan is great, he's fixed a couple things over the last year and is always professional and informative.
- Nick B.
Quality plumbing is amazing 👏 when my brothers home had a problem with water pressure, they were able to schedule quickly, identify the problem and provide cost effective solutions quickly. When they did the work, they were on time on budget and cleaned up everything afterwards. Thank you for your great service Quality Plumbing! …
- Rich R.
Quality Plumbing is my go-to plumbing company for all my projects. I had one big project and after meeting Jeff, I’ve specifically requested him to come out for my other 2 projects. He’s incredibly punctual, efficient, and keeps the area nice and clean. Great to communicate with and provides clear answers to all my questions. Jeff is very professional and knowledgeable in his craft. Every time I call, Delaney will always pick up my phone calls and get me scheduled right away. Never had great success with plumbing companies until I started working with Quality Plumbing. They have unbeatable prices and will provide you with an honest solution to your problems. Highly recommend choosing Quality Plumbing!
- Alex D.
The total process from booking a service call, by phone, to the installation of a steel reinforced waterline hose on our refrigerator, was a pleasurable experience. A retired plumber recommended QP. Jeff had to pull out the refrigerator, remove the plastic waterline, install the new waterline, check to make sure the water dispenser was working and put the refrigerator back. Jeff was careful and mindfull of our wooden floor as the refrigerator was in a built-in cabinet. Since we live in a condo we want to eliminate all possibilities for a water leak. Jeff not only did his skillful job, he also educated us on the different water supply lines. I would recommend QP.
- Janeine G.
Quality Plumbing did a rough-in plumbing install for a bathroom and kitchen sink in my basement. Very communicative, helped plan the space, and did a great job on the install. Will be using them again!
- Ian H.
Called them when my water heater broke, they were over same day with a new one. Logan is great, he's fixed a couple things over the last year and is always professional and informative.
- Nick B.
Quality plumbing is amazing 👏 when my brothers home had a problem with water pressure, they were able to schedule quickly, identify the problem and provide cost effective solutions quickly. When they did the work, they were on time on budget and cleaned up everything afterwards. Thank you for your great service Quality Plumbing! …
- Rich R.
Quality Plumbing is my go-to plumbing company for all my projects. I had one big project and after meeting Jeff, I’ve specifically requested him to come out for my other 2 projects. He’s incredibly punctual, efficient, and keeps the area nice and clean. Great to communicate with and provides clear answers to all my questions. Jeff is very professional and knowledgeable in his craft. Every time I call, Delaney will always pick up my phone calls and get me scheduled right away. Never had great success with plumbing companies until I started working with Quality Plumbing. They have unbeatable prices and will provide you with an honest solution to your problems. Highly recommend choosing Quality Plumbing!
- Alex D.