i have a Watts 174a pressure valve and it is leaking. Question #1...do these go bad often? #2 what are the steps in replacing one? thank you.
I assume you are talking about a pressure relief valve. Watts valves are very reliable, but even the best wear out. You will have to shut down the boiler, wait unitl it cools, then remove the valve and put in a new one. You could have the old one rebuilt and keep as a spare.
mine has leaked in the past when the expansion tank was too full. check you pressure gauge on the boiler and see what it is reading. also check the pressure relief valve to see what it is rated for. if the pressure gauge reads more than the valve is rated for, the valve is just doing it's job and relieving the pressure. if you don't know how to drain your expansion tank, call your fuel supplier or service company and have them show you how to do it, so you'll know how in the future. good luck, hope this helps.
They should last a long time unless there's a problem. But hard water can deteriorate the rubber seal. but changing it is easy, Shut of the power to the boiler. Shut off the water to the boiler, Crack open the T P valve (temperature and pressure valve). That's to relieve the pressure, but be careful, as it mat spit some very hot water momentarily. Unscrew the old one, asrew in the new one. Use some pipe joint sealanr of course, teflon tape or pipe dope. Another note: Code requires the outlet of the T P valve to be piped 6 inches from the floor, preferably to a drain. That's to prevent a scalding if you happen to be near it if it blew.
Simply buy a new one, SHUT THE UNIT DOWN and let it cool, and turn off the water supply to it. Put the new one on and return the unit to it's original configuration. BE SURE THE NEW RELIEF VALVE IS OF THE SAME RATING....FOR GOD'S SAKE! On the other hand, if you generally have bad luck with these type of things, CALL A PLUMBER. They are pretty good at these things and their price for a small job like that won't be too bad.
Before you replace the valve, make sure that its not simply doing its job. Pressure relief valves are meant to relieve pressure if the system pressure goes above 30 psi. They do this to protect you and the boiler from an explosion or a rupture. So first, make sure that the system pressure is below 30 psi. If it is in fact below 30 psi, then yes-the pressure relief valve is bad. In order to replace it you'll need to drain the system to where the water level is below the pressure relief valve (PRV) and then get a good-sized pipe wrench to break it loose. It probably has a discharge pipe- try to take it apart in a way that allows you to re-use it. use pipe thread sealant when putting the new one in. make sure you tighten the fittings with a good tug on the wrench. Now all that's left is to refill the system and fire the boiler back up, watching to make sure that it doesn't go over pressure. You will probably need to bleed air out of the system. OR- call a plumber.
