Visually interesting plumbing

[Bruce Ramsey]

Nine year old construction. Water heater was same age as the house.

Plumber decided to add some visual interest to the water heater plumbing.

[Jerry Peck]

That visually interesting plumbing serves as a heat trap. :) Really.

That expansion tank is improperly supported off the side of the tee fitting.

[Lon Henderson]

And my understanding is that those sharp U turns slow the flow a bit.

[Jerry Peck]

And my understanding is that those sharp U turns slow the flow a bit.

Not any more than any other elbow.

Before heat traps came with water heaters, and before heat traps which come with water heaters were even thought of, and after some plumbers don't realize that those heat traps come with water heaters or are available ... heat traps had to be made with the piping - like you see there.

Their intent is to trap the heated water from circulating up and around the hot water piping, and that upside down U does that to a great degree.

[Lon Henderson]

Not any more than any other elbow.

Before heat traps came with water heaters, and before heat traps which come with water heaters were even thought of, and after some plumbers don't realize that those heat traps come with water heaters or are available ... heat traps had to be made with the piping - like you see there.

Their intent is to trap the heated water from circulating up and around the hot water piping, and that upside down U does that to a great degree.

To clarify for myself, you don't have a problem with these loops, do you?
And btw, I wouldn't write them up as a problem, although I don't think I've ever seen this.

[Jerry Peck]

To clarify for myself, you don't have a problem with these loops, do you?
And btw, I wouldn't write them up as a problem, although I don't think I've ever seen this.

Nope problem with them at all.

In fact, if the heat trap couplings are not installed, then those made-up heat trap loops would be required.

[Rick Cantrell]

Jerry
Maybe I'm wrong but I was thinking the inlet and outlet have plastic one way valves that makes the trap shown unnecessary.

[John Kogel]

Now that the heat is trapped, they need to add the circulation pump to get the hot water flowing again. :D:D

[Jerry Peck]

Jerry
Maybe I'm wrong but I was thinking the inlet and outlet have plastic one way valves that makes the trap shown unnecessary.

That's why I said:

Before heat traps came with water heaters, and before heat traps which come with water heaters were even thought of, and after some plumbers don't realize that those heat traps come with water heaters or are available ... heat traps had to be made with the piping - like you see there.

I tried to cover all the bases for the various options they may have run into, including "and after some plumbers don't realize that those heat traps come with water heaters" ... :)

[Rick Cantrell]

That's why I said:


I tried to cover all the bases for the various options they may have run into, including "and after some plumbers don't realize that those heat traps come with water heaters" ... :)
I didn't recognize that's what you were saying.

[Jerry Peck]

I didn't recognize that's what you were saying.

Possibly because I was trying to be politically correct and not say that the plumber didn't know what they were doing
If they had those heat trap nipples ... :)

[Lon Henderson]

Possibly because I was trying to be politically correct :)

Sorry, I'm having trouble typing with all my coughing...........is this a new JP?

[Jim Hintz]

Sorry, I'm having trouble typing with all my coughing...........is this a new JP?Ditto on the coughing, nasty bug floating 'round the country.

[Frank Norman]

To clarify for myself, you don't have a problem with these loops, do you?
And btw, I wouldn't write them up as a problem, although I don't think I've ever seen this.

There were traps on both the inlet and outlet pipes. On most water heaters the heat does not convect up the water in the inlet pipe probably because the inlet feeds the water down to the bottom of the tank, away from where the heat rises, so I don't think you would normally need a heat trap on the inlet pipe.

Agree it's not a problem having traps on both pipes rather than just on the outlet pipe even though the extra trap has little or no benefit. I wouldn't comment on it in the report.

[Erby Crofutt]

31313

People do some strange stuff with piping!