Are Your Safety Valves Damaged?

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Building a New Home

If you plan to build a new home, you will no doubt have lots of questions about how best to proceed. I am here to help you to understand the different things you need to consider when planning and constructing a new property. I don't work in the construction industry but last year, I successfully built a new property using a team of construction contractors. The contractors were real professionals who worked quickly and to a very high standard. They were very kind to me and took the time to explain exactly what they were doing at each stage of the construction job.

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Are Your Safety Valves Damaged?

12 April 2019
 Categories: Construction & Contractors, Blog


Damaged safety valves can lead to a catastrophe in any system or vessel. This is why you need to be able to spot the symptoms early to prevent your valve from failing. Being knowledgeable about what to expect helps you to think ahead and determine if you need to have them replaced or repaired. The most common one in homes is the safety valve in hot showers. You should prevent the issue from escalating to avoid the hassle of having to deal with a bigger problem.

It Will Emit Noises

You need to check if you hear any noise because safety valves make strange noises when they are breaking down. This is otherwise known as water hammer because the cause is a disc slamming into the valve seat. Water hammer could cause rupturing pipelines and serious damage. To prevent the issue, you can check the valve that was installed to avoid pressure surges.

If the sound is high-pitched, it could be because of the steam that escapes through the valve due to excessive pressure in the tank.  

Build-Up of Dirt

If you constantly hear the noise, shut the water heater and allow one hour before cleaning the pipe valve interior. You may see debris, dirt or any corrosion that blocks the pipe. In case this is not enough to solve the issue, call your plumber right away because this is how safety valves are when they need to be replaced. In case the water heater starts to rumble or rattle, the problem is most likely corrosion in the pipe's interior or inside the tank. When this happens, you need to contact your plumber as well.

The Water Shifts to Cold Right Away

Hot water tanks are built with a certain capacity, which means that if too much is used up too quickly, you would have to wait for more. Even if this is the case, you should be concerned if you have just turned on your shower and the water runs cold within just a couple of minutes. There is a possibility that your water heater has an issue, and sometimes it could be the safety valve. This is why your water heater could no longer hold the water to a steady temperature. When this happens, call your plumber.  

If you notice any of these signs, it is time to call a plumber who is familiar with valves like Bailey safety valves and can solve your problem.