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What is the difference between a T&P Valve and a Pressure Reducing Valve? (PRV): Aside from their appearance, the main difference between a T&P Valve and a Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV) is their installation location and purpose:

Please Note: Although our Parts Department team members are experienced, they cannot diagnose issues with your T&P Relief Valve via e-mail or by phone. If you need assistance with diagnostics, we recommend contacting your water heater manufacturer's technical support first or requesting a service call.

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Whether T&P Valve Replacement will be covered by warranty is determined by your manufacturer's warranty policy. In most cases, the water heater manufacturers will require some readings and documentation prior to approving a warranty T&P Valve replacement, including but not limited to:

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The T&P Valve is made to open by force to relieve excess temperature/pressure inside your water heater or manually during inspection. Typically, if you should lift the T&P Relief Valve handle/lever at a 90 degree angle for maintenance, you should be able to lower it back down easily into the closed position. If the T&P Valve's lever will not close fully, it will need to be replaced. This type of T&P Valve replacement will likely not be covered by the manufacturer's warranty.

The most common cause of a leaking T&P Valve or dripping T&P Valve is an increase in thermal expansion. This is most often the result of not having a thermal expansion tank installed on your water heater's cold inlet line; if you already have a thermal expansion tank and have excessive water pressure, a technician will perform a pressure test to determine whether your T&P Valve is faulty or if you may need a Pressure Reducing Valve installed to control the water pressure in your home.

Our team of experienced water heater parts experts is happy to help! Identifying the correct replacement T&P Relief Valve for your water heater can be difficult without the right tools.

A water heater T&P Relief Valve is a safety feature "that will prevent or relieve overheated water and pressure. Without a relief valve during an unsafe condition, the tank pressure would rise to the point the tank may rupture or explode."

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Regardless of whether you purchase your water heater at a local hardware store, from a plumbing supplier, or directly from the manufacturer, you will likely see a note in the listing and/or on the box itself that says the water heater has a pre-installed T&P Relief Valve. This means that the water heater comes with a T&P Valve that is installed in the side of the tank, however, your installer will need to add the discharge pipe. In other words, yes, your water heater has a Temperature and Pressure Relief Valve (TPR); if your tank type water heater does not have a TPR, your water heater should not be run until an appropriately sized TPR has been installed by a professional due to the potential safety risk of excessive temperature and pressure.

The location of your water heater's T&P relief valve may vary based on the water heater's grade (residential vs. commercial) and specific model. Across most water heater manufacturers, these are the most common locations for T&P valves:

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Thermal expansion refers to the process of water's volume and contained pressure increasing as a result of the water heating process.

When you need water heater repair or other water heater service, contact the professionals here at U.S. Water Heating Solutions! We regularly diagnose and replace water heater T&P Valves, perform warranty repairs for many of the top manufacturers, and can assist with many other water heater services.

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Just like your home's smoke detectors' functionality should be checked, water heater manufacturers also recommend ensuring the functionality of your TPR. In manufacturers' literature or your water heater manual, this may be referred to as:

Whether T&P Valve Replacement will be covered by warranty is determined by your manufacturer's warranty policy. In most cases, the water heater manufacturers will require some readings and documentation prior to approving a warranty T&P Valve replacement, including but not limited to:

If your replacement T&P Valve is not covered under warranty, you can expect to spend anywhere from about $20.00 to $75.00, depending on whether your water heater is residential (typically cheaper) or commercial (typically more expensive).

Rheem recommends inspecting and testing your water heater's T&P valve every 6 months. As a tip to remember, they also recommend performing this check "when 'springing forward' or 'falling back' with daylight savings time."

***DISCLAIMER: PLEASE REFER TO YOUR MANUFACTURER’S INSTALLATION MANUAL FOR INFORMATION REGARDING YOUR SPECIFIC MODEL. IF YOU ARE ATTEMPTING TO SERVICE YOUR OWN HEATER, PLEASE DO SO WITH CAUTION; U.S. WATER HEATING SOLUTIONS, LLC. AND THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS MENTIONED BELOW ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ASSOCIATED LIABILITIES. THIS ARTICLE IS MEANT TO PROVIDE AN INFORMATIVE AND EDUCATIONAL SUMMARY AND DOES NOT SUPERSEDE OFFICIAL WATER HEATER REPAIRS OR MANUFACTURER INFORMATION.

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It is recommended to replace your T&P Valve with the replacement part number provided by your water heater's manufacturer. However, given the fact that most major water heater manufacturers use T&P Relief Valves manufactured by Watts, some part numbers are interchangeable between manufacturers.

“Thermal expansion of water, if not compensated for in system design, will lead to the early failure of components. These failures are not covered by the manufacturer’s warranty, so it is extremely important that everyone be aware of the causes, symptoms and solutions to thermal expansion in a closed water heating system” (Source: A.O. Smith)

It is important not to confuse the T&P Valve with the drain valve, pressure relief valves, nor pressure reducing valves (PRVs).

In some cases, T&P Valves may be faulty coming directly from the manufacturer. Permitted the technician is able to determine the T&P Valve did not fail due to: user error (i.e., being forced open), high incoming water pressure, thermal expansion, or another plumbing issue, most manufacturer warranties for labor and parts will cover the cost of the replacement T&P Relief Valve and the installation (if your water heater still has labor coverage).

If you are going to replace your Relief Valve without using your water heater manufacturer's direct replacement, you should be sure to match the following:

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NOTE: Most manufacturers list this information in the manual's section on Thermal Expansion and TPR Valves instead of the Water Heater Preventative Maintenance section.

Thermal expansion refers to the process of water's volume and contained pressure increasing as a result of the water heating process.

If your replacement T&P Valve is not covered under warranty, you can expect to spend anywhere from about $20.00 to $75.00, depending on whether your water heater is residential (typically cheaper) or commercial (typically more expensive).

“Thermal expansion of water, if not compensated for in system design, will lead to the early failure of components. These failures are not covered by the manufacturer’s warranty, so it is extremely important that everyone be aware of the causes, symptoms and solutions to thermal expansion in a closed water heating system” (Source: A.O. Smith)