Pipes!

[mark beiser]

Not really WOS workmanship, but it sure does seem like massive overkill for a 20 gallon water heater that only supplies hot water for 8 bathroom sinks.

Kinda reminds me of the old Windows "Pipes" screen saver.

[drife678]

lol make it as hard as possible to change down the road.

[tjrobb]

Does the water come out sideways??

[dandyme]

constant circulation, tempering valve,

they goin' green-don't want to lose the first btu out of those pipes

[SolarMike]

Tempering valve with the head down.....it will get replaced soon, pump not horizontal (I know, I know, high static so doesn't need to be, but it is good practice), Expansion tank upside down so it will fail a bit sooner.

Mark, I assume you would NOT put your name on it.

[cehs]

Tempering valve with the head down.....it will get replaced soon, pump not horizontal (I know, I know, high static so doesn't need to be, but it is good practice), Expansion tank upside down so it will fail a bit sooner.

Mark, I assume you would NOT put your name on it.

WHY would the expansion tank fail sooner if upside down?
I always thought that if there was any air in the system, the tank would be a good collection point.
.

[mark beiser]

Mark, I assume you would NOT put your name on it.

I was just in the closet looking for the termination of the common drain line for all the Daikin VRV air handlers in the building and thought the piping mess on top of the water heater looked funny, so I took a picture.

I know what all the parts are, and what they do, but I don't actually know how the stuff is supposed to go together.
I didn't look at it for long, but the actual workmanship on the connections I could see was pretty good. I've no idea why they didn't mount it on the wall though, there is plenty of room.
It still amuses me that they went to all that trouble for some bathroom sinks, but it is in a private school, so I imagine there are regulations requiring it.

[SolarMike]

WHY would the expansion tank fail sooner if upside down?
I always thought that if there was any air in the system, the tank would be a good collection point.
.

The bladder in an exp tank is supposed to stay wet everywhere on the water side. If it is allowed to dry out most or all the time, it is more prone to cracking over time. Hang them down and the bladder will last longer. If it is a old style tank, different story......no bladder.

[timetable15]

most of the piping is due to the mixing valve they need a heat trap any state facility requires mixing valves on the heaters so nobody gets burned
the watts mixing valves are a pain in the butt because that is how they have to be piped in with the heat trap and into were the relief goes
if you ever need a mixing valve use honeywell amx300 they screw onto the male ends of the heater takes 5 minutes to install much better design imo

[SolarMike]

Doesn't matter which valve you use, It is the installers duty to put it in right and if it takes a couple more 90s to do it right, so be it. I have put in most brands of valve and some are easier than others. Cash acme also has unions to make it easier. Danfoss doesn't have them.

[timetable15]

The honewell amx requires no heat trap which means u dont need that mess of piping maybe u should do some research before u go rambling about something being easier

[timetable15]

And about the expansion tank failing
most of them fail because the factory charge of 38 psi needs to be adjusted to incoming street pressure which nobody does and u have a bladder that is expanded before thermal expansion even begins

[SolarMike]

I was only talking about the valve position, the head being up or down, not about the heat trap so chill dude. I have used lots of Honeywell valves as well.

Also, my comment about tanks goes for all tanks not just DHW tanks, and it was only about its position. Of course pressure is important. I stand by my comments.