Thread: Visually interesting plumbing

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

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

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

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

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

Originally Posted by Lon Henderson

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.

Originally Posted by Jerry Peck

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.

Originally Posted by Lon Henderson

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.

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

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

Originally Posted by 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.

That's why I said:

Originally Posted by Jerry Peck

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" ...

Originally Posted by Jerry Peck

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.

Originally Posted by Rick Cantrell

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 ...

Originally Posted by Jerry Peck

Possibly because I was trying to be politically correct

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

Originally Posted by Lon Henderson

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.

Originally Posted by Lon Henderson

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.

B4U032.jpg

People do some strange stuff with piping!