Ever heard of a water heater expansion tank? Pretty weird thing that may be hard to digest but in truth it is an imperative part of having a long lasting and working properly water heater. Water enters your home and is passed through piping into the water heater, which in turn heats up all of this water so that you can have warm to hot showers (hopefully not too hot!) depending on how high you turned the knob for a certain temperature. Also, did you know when water heats up the volume will increase? This means that it is now being spread across more area than when cold. The expansion tank serves this purpose. That heated water expands and the expansion tank is there to occupy that additional space so your water heater remains perfectly safe and damage free.
So, have you been thinking about why the heck do you even need an expansion tank. It’s a good question! If that outlet is not there, you might find your hot water heater dealing with big issues. If water is allowed to heat up and its volume increase within a water heater without the expansion tank absorbing this extra space; it can create tremendous pressure inside of that hot-water reservoir. This stress can result in leaks or worse, it may cause your water heater to malfunction entirely. After all: no one likes taking a cold shower, right?, especially not on the cool mornings like this morning when you have to make sure that your water heater is still working. That is exactly why you have an expansion tank in your house.
So, now that I clarified what the expansion tank does we will jump into how it works. In essence, an Expansion tank is a little vessel that mounts above your water heater. It is attached to the piping that supplies water into your hot water heater. When the water in your hot water heater warms, it expands, and also some of that goes into the growth tank. This way, the overused space is utilized and other proper pressure holds your water heater. This is such a simple concept, but it makes all the difference to making everything work!
We have already discussed why an expansion tank is required and what it actually does. But just how important is it? Earlier, as I said before that, your water heater can have damage without an expansion tank. If a water heater ever breaks down, no one wants to fork over an arm and a leg for its replacement! An expansion tank makes that simple. Plus, if you water heater does end up breaking on you may be left taking cold showers for a bit too which is no fun!) This is why a home expansion tank plays an important key here to keep your water system at home running in top shape.
Are you considering buying an expansion tank for water heater and have some doubts about what kind to use?, so let answer with heat eliminating. Well, the answer is simple! The expansion tank should correspond with the size of your water heater. Doing this ensures the expansion tank performs as it should and serves its purpose of occupying space when your water expands. Fits your water heater just right! If you are going to purchase an expansion tank, and not sure what size it is so better consult with a plumber. So they are experienced individuals that can find you a match for your water heater.
It can help you save money over a longer period. When your water heater goes out you will have to shell over the cash in order to replace it, and that can be a hefty investment. If you have an expansion tank, however, your water heater probably won't fail in the first place.
In the end, you can clearly see how having an expansion tank is beneficial for your water heater. It is a minor detail, but over the course of things it can start to matter. Therefore, it is worth considering buying an expansion tank in case you do not already have one.