Rheem SP12574 Temperature and Pressure Relief Valve,Small

Good fit works well

I needed a new pressure relief valve to replace the one on my Rheem water heater that the plumber broke during "routine maintenance". After doing a lot of searches, and finding that the original part number had been replace twice (the hot water heater is 21 years old and still going strong) I found out that the part is now made by Protech. This one was an exact match to my old one, and installation was a snap. It even came prewrapped in Teflon tape, which was a nice surprise. Some things to note if you are replacing 1 yourself: - Make sure you turn off the water and unplug the hot water tank to let it cool. If you have gas, shut that off also. - Pump the old release valve to slowly let pressure off before opening it full. It will reduce getting an air burst and potential hot water blast. - Opening the hot water taps in the house also helps after you shut it down. I was flushing mine at the same time, so it helped greatly.

I sold my home and the buyers, rightfully, wanted a home inspection. The inspector decided to pull the lever on the pressure relief valve that was working flawlessly, even though the drip pan below the pressure relief pipe was totally dry. It immediately started leaking, although slowly. I ordered the new pressure relief valve and when it arrived, I turned the temperature dial on the water heater to vacation, closed the cold water inlet valve and drained about 6 gallons from the water heater. After removing the drip pipe and slowly turning the old PRV until there was no steam or liquid water leaking, the old PRV was removed. The new PRV was immediately installed and the drip pipe replaced. After turning the water back on and setting the dial to a warm temperature, the water heater fired up and showed no signs of leaks. I was sure the inspector caused the problem when just before closing, the buyer's agent asked to go into the basement to check on the water heater. If you are inexperienced with plumbing, I would advise shutting the water heater down entirely and waiting for the water to cool considerably.

EXCELLENT ITEM

My original Rheem water heater pressure valve developed a slow leak. This formed a crusty deposit around the drain hole which might hinder safety function iif the valve is binding. So I replaced it with this valve and it worked great. taking the old valve off was a challenge because of the corrosion. I had to apply a generous amount of penetrants free up the binding so as not to break the copper pipes. Installing it was easy wth some teflon tapes and tighten it snug prevented any leaks. I even tested the valve for any pressure release and it works great.

I woke up one morning to find the pressure relief valve dripping water from the discharge tube. The local box stores had replacements but did not have the right probe length as required by the manufacturer of my water heater. I was able to get this next day and it fit perfectly. No issues at all with this - water heater has been operating perfectly fine for the last week since replacement. You can find many tutorials online on how to change one if you're in a similar position. Highly recommended!

The seller has the right replacement part and delivers fast. Replacing the valve was easy and is functioning well. Priced well compared to what is being sold in home depot and Lowes.

Worked as a direct replacement for our rv water heater.