Help with a small Heat Store water heater-dribbles a little

[kilo_4que]

Hi guys I have this Heat Store water heater, you know one of those smaller water heaters to warm just a little tea area sink and a toilet basin next door.

Here is a photo:

Basically what happens is, when the heater is switched on, after around 5 mins the big Brass "thing" with the earth clamp on it starts weeping a little. The problem is it doesnt leak when the heater is not on but the water is still entering via the water inlet so dont understand why it leaks when on

Do you think it is a good idea to cap off this brass thing as it has a thread made. Or would this be for directing water away towards a waste or something, any help would be great guys,

thanks

 

[mogget]

I don't know much about unvented heaters but this looks like it could be an important safety device!

I suspect it may be a temperature or pressure relief valve, and there should be a pipe attached that is open to the outside of the building.

Please don't cap it off until someone who knows gives you a useful answer!

 

[kilo_4que]

Hi mogget thanks for the reply matey,

to be honest I had no real intention of capping it as it was installed before I took ownership of the building and it about the only thing i kept since it was such a tidy little water heater i.e. small yet so effective as it warms the water a great deal with decent capacity.

And pressure release valve may be the correct term. Basically when you lift the lever even a little, it squirts water out. Only problem is, previously it never had any pipe or anything attached to it, but it does have a thread so surely it is made for something to attach to it

 

[spudkey]

Do not cap off this is the temp & pressure relief valve it should be pipe to some where safe as it can discharge water at 90 degrees.This valve is probably leaking due to expansion, the heater requires enough cold pipework suppling the unit to allow expansion back down the main if this can't be done it will require an expansion vessel, pressure relife and check valve and maybe a pressure reducing valve depending on incomming mains pressure

 

[kilo_4que]

spudkey, basically I have cold water coming in from the mains at pretty decent pressure. It comes in via speedfit attachment to a copper pipe that is fixed to the pressure release valve as can be seen in the photo.

Would it be safe for me to simply attach some form of piping that fixes to the pressure release valve?

The question would remain, where should i send this pipe to as the water heater is located under a sink base unit

 

[gavinda]

i would suggest you get someone in to look at it as the operation of the tprv should not be a regular event. you have a fault with the heater unit. i hacve no experience of these but would suggest either a thermostat failure or as mentioned insufficent space for water expansion.