Do I need a thermal expansion tank? - Let's do an experiment!

Why do you need a thermal expansion tank? It's a common question among home owners and newer plumbers. Well, the simple answer is because it saves your water heater from becoming a rocket. BOOM! The long answer is because as water increases in temperature, it also increases in volume. So when we have a sealed system, That added volume of water will turn into tremendous pressure. That is unless we provide a place for that added volume of water to go. First, we display just how much added water volume is created when we heat a 50 gallon tank of water. You'll be surprised at how fast it happens too! Next, we perform the same test again but this time the pipes are sealed up so the added volume of water has nowhere to go. This means it turns into water pressure. It only takes a few minutes for the pressure to exceed 150 psi. From there, we display a clear thermal expansion tank so you can see exactly what happens inside a thermal expansion tank. As the volume of water increases, the size of the rubber bladder decreases. This allows the water pressure to remain stable. Finally, we showcase what happens to the water pressure when we install a thermal expansion tank. It's pretty neat to watch the pressure gauge while the thermal expansion tank get to work. If you enjoyed this video, then make sure to give it a thumbs up and subscribe to the channel. We have many more informational videos like these in the works For more great info, check out our other videos on this channel or visit our webpage at www.CallSmedley.com ‪@WattsWater‬ ‪@StateWaterHeaters‬ ‪@AOSmithWaterProducts‬ ‪@bradfordwhitewaterheaters5020‬ ‪@rheemwater‬ ‪@fergusonenterprises‬ ‪@HomeDepot‬ ‪@lowes‬ ‪@menards‬