What is a Temperature and Pressure Relief Valve, and Why is it Important for Storage Water Heaters to Have Them?

If you’re a homeowner, your family’s and home’s safety become undoubtedly high on your list of concerns. And you want to make sure that dangers at home are brought to a minimum.
Taking a warm shower is one of life’s special little joys, and nothing kills the joy more than an unexpected rush of skin-scalding hot water. On top of enjoyment, safety is also of paramount importance when it comes to water heaters because nobody wants a freak shower accident. Let’s take a look at how Rheem’s storage water heaters are built to make sure that you and your family stay safe during shower time.

Why Is a Temperature and Pressure Relief Valve Necessary for Storage Water Heaters?

Unlike instant water heaters where water is heated instantly, a storage water heater pre-heats cold water and stores it in an insulated tank so that an accumulation of hot water can be readily available to be dispensed at a moment’s notice.
Because water is heated in a storage tank, heating typically takes a longer time. As heating takes place, pressure in the storage tank will gradually rise. If the temperature gets higher beyond expected and the pressure is not released, it may even cause an explosion.
To help put things into perspective, MythBusters conducted an experiment on excessive pressure in a storage water heater:

This is where a temperature and pressure relief valve comes in. The purpose of the valve is to allow excessive temperature and pressure inside the storage tank to be released safely. Without the valve, your water heater may run the risk of an explosion if the temperature or pressure got higher than what the tank was designed to handle. To put it simply, storage water heaters can be hazardous or even lethal if they do not come with a temperature and pressure relief valve.
If you’ve ever wondered how a temperature and pressure relief valve looks like, it’s that little lever on the top of a storage water heater. This seemingly insignificant lever is what keeps your water heater from turning into a major safety risk. In case you’re having trouble figuring out how a temperature and pressure relief valve looks like, it looks something like this:

At Rheem, we care about your safety. Other than a built-in system to automatically monitor and control the temperature and pressure, our storage water heaters also come with a relief valve for added safety.
As such, it’s advisable to give your storage water heater some love by lifting the valve every so often to release excessive temperature and pressure—just this one simple preventive measure will keep irreparable damages off and also help your storage water heater withstand the test of time.
This safety tip was brought to you by Rheem. To find out more about our range of storage water heaters, click here.