this post was submitted on 08 Aug 2023
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No expansion tank?
Guessing its a hybrid unit? I have a hybrid one by GE. Goddamn its loud.
Don't forget to turn up the water temperature. Mine also was set to 120 by default, but that's too cold. You need 135-140 or so, otherwise you'll find that you run out of hot water pretty quickly, especially if you have people taking showers back to back, or running the dishwasher/washer while someones showering, etc.
What's an expansion tank? I set it up like the old one was set up. All I did was disconnect the old one and reconnect the new one to the same pipes coming out of the wall.
An expansion tank is necessary for water heaters, because the process of heating water causes it to expand. Without an expansion tank, pressure could build to unsafe levels
If it's necessary then how did my last tank make it 20 years without one?
The expansion tank isn't just for the water heater. That increased pressure puts undue strain on the entire plumbing system in your home. It will cause toilet fill valves to fail, supply lines to rupture, and possibly even pinhole leaks. A lot of plumbing issues are solved by installing an expansion tank.
All tanks are equipped with a safety release for the pressure and the only time when that delta in pressure can be problematic is when you go from completely cold to hot due to the higher amount of water that can fit in the tank at lower temp.
Otherwise I've never seen a house in Canada with an extension tank attached to the water heater and the water come in ice cold in the winter.