A homeowner in Rosenort called after noticing water pooling near their electric water heater. Our technician found the relief valve dripping steadily, along with a check valve installed on the home’s main water line. That check valve turned out to be the real problem: it stops backflow, but it also traps pressure in a closed system with nowhere to go except out through the relief valve.
The fix wasn’t just a new valve. We installed a properly sized expansion tank to absorb that trapped pressure, then replaced the worn relief valve itself. Once both were in, we pressure-tested the system and confirmed there was no further leaking before packing up.
It’s a common issue we see on rural properties around Rosenort and the wider Morris service area — a check valve or backflow preventer gets added at some point, and the water heater ends up taking the pressure hit. If a relief valve keeps dripping even after a repair, it’s worth asking whether an expansion tank is missing from the system.
Brown’s Plumbing & Heating services Rosenort and the surrounding Morris area for plumbing repairs, water heater service, and heating work.