# fun one this afternoon



## 1703 (Jul 21, 2009)

Went to a "waterheater blew up" call this afternoon and found this










That's a st 12 expansion tank.

It fell on top of this:










Busted the top cover, two pressure switches and soaked the circuit board. I had switches but no board.

Good times.


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

What was the cause?


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

plbgbiz said:


> What was the cause?


I'd guess corrosion and no support on the expansion tank....:yes:


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## PLUMBER_BILL (Oct 23, 2009)

Redwood said:


> I'd guess corrosion and no support on the expansion tank....:yes:


This ought to convince all to stop hanging these tanks in mid air. 

I have used the BRA or a variation of same about a dozen times since I posted it.

http://www.plumbingzone.com/f2/bra-therm-tank-9121/


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## Proud Plumber (Sep 15, 2008)

I have to give Cudos to Il Plumber for this, I stole the idea off of his car wash pics he posted many moons ago on this site. I find a uni strut clamp and a short piece of strut does the trick.


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## 1703 (Jul 21, 2009)

plbgbiz said:


> What was the cause?


 
It has no support whatsoever so I'd say that had something to do with it. It's mounted in the vertical position, inlet on the bottom. Supposedly it was 8-9 months old. 

I've never seen a tank break like that. I've seen them break water lines when unsupported and waterlogged and seen them with holes in the side, but where the tank completely busts off.


Oh yeah- the 2" PRV is showing over 100psi, too.


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

*how much did that cost???*

floods like that are pretty common in these parts. 
I see a lot of them hanging mid air off a copper arm...
its a race to see if the copper arm at the tee breaks 
before it breaks at the expansion tank...


how much is that water heater worth that got soaked??

looks like an expensive commercial power vent ???


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## 1703 (Jul 21, 2009)

Master Mark said:


> floods like that are pretty common in these parts.
> I see a lot of them hanging mid air off a copper arm...
> its a race to see if the copper arm at the tee breaks
> before it breaks at the expansion tank...
> ...


 
my cost on that heater is somewhere in the 4500- 4700 range. I didn't price it out to know for sure.

It got fixed yesterday. switches are roughly 50 and the board was roughly 375, IIRC.


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

*you done good*



Colgar said:


> my cost on that heater is somewhere in the 4500- 4700 range. I didn't price it out to know for sure.
> 
> It got fixed yesterday. switches are roughly 50 and the board was roughly 375, IIRC.


finding parts for one of those pigs would be very hard to do around here... with only 2 places in town to call........it probably would be down for a few days till parts arrived.....

you got very lucky that it all fell into place for you in one day


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