Maybe not a question for every homestead but I'll be most have a hot water heater. Ours happens to be a standard electric hot water heater, sits in a closet, the water heater is about 20" around and about 5' tall. (It came with the house when we bought it and hasn't caused us any problems.)
I have been noticing that pressure seems to build in the water lines when no one uses the water for a while. I don't particularly like that. And I was wondering about what might be causing it. I know of a couple of things it could be...
The reason the water heater came to mind was because of living in an RV for a decade. That little 5 gallon hot water heater was built in such a way that there was a bubble of air in the top of it. It was supposed to be that way. Over time, that bubble of air would dissolve and go away and when it did, the water would do something very much like what I am seeing at home. Pressure would build when no one ran the water for a while.
So I got to wondering whether a home hot water heater is kinda the same? Does it need that bubble of water to act as a "pressure tank" of sorts? It's been over a year since I drained it, so I really should do that anyway. But I wondered about the air bubble thing.
Mr. Google was no help at all and kept trying to tell me about air bubbles in the water that was coming out of the tap. Related subject, but that wasn't what I was asking about. (sigh) Sometimes he can be quite dense. Anyway...
Anybody know? I just get curious about such things.
Thanks!
I have been noticing that pressure seems to build in the water lines when no one uses the water for a while. I don't particularly like that. And I was wondering about what might be causing it. I know of a couple of things it could be...
The reason the water heater came to mind was because of living in an RV for a decade. That little 5 gallon hot water heater was built in such a way that there was a bubble of air in the top of it. It was supposed to be that way. Over time, that bubble of air would dissolve and go away and when it did, the water would do something very much like what I am seeing at home. Pressure would build when no one ran the water for a while.
So I got to wondering whether a home hot water heater is kinda the same? Does it need that bubble of water to act as a "pressure tank" of sorts? It's been over a year since I drained it, so I really should do that anyway. But I wondered about the air bubble thing.
Mr. Google was no help at all and kept trying to tell me about air bubbles in the water that was coming out of the tap. Related subject, but that wasn't what I was asking about. (sigh) Sometimes he can be quite dense. Anyway...
Anybody know? I just get curious about such things.
Thanks!