Wags Valve

[Twowaxhack]

Any of you have a Wags valve in operation ?

I’ve installed a few of them but the water heaters haven’t leaked so they’re still in service.

https://www.supplyhouse.com/Aquaguard-WAGS7200-4W-Water-Safety-Shut-Off-Valve
I just ordered another one and will be installing next week. I’ll take some pics.

 

[havasu]

I'm looking forward to seeing some pics.

 

[Twowaxhack]

I'm looking forward to seeing some pics.

Yes, the water heater is in the middle of the house without a floor drain or pan that drains to the outside.

Oak hardwood throughout most of the house. Water heater existing is a 15 yr old 40 gal Rheem ekectric. It’s in a bathroom closet.

Same house has a 50 gallon Rheem gas that’s 18 yrs old. It’s located in a closet outside without a pan. I’m replacing that one also and installing a pan.

Same house I’m also installing a main water shut off valve outside in a meter box.

 

[Twowaxhack]

Got the Wags valve via UPS today. Looks good, nicely packaged.

 

[Bird Doo Head]

A friend of mine got a discount on her home insurance for more than the cost of the valve. Cool, huh? She said if she puts in the water & gas model, the discount goes up.

 

[Twowaxhack]

Getting ready for tomorrow.

 

[wpns]

So what's the mechanism that trips the shutoff? I've seen those in a few condos recently, and now that I know what they are, I want to know how they work. The water dissolves something, the water causes something to swell up, or something else?

 

[Twowaxhack]

Water dissolves a tablet that releases a spring loaded valve to shut the water off.

 

[Hamberg]

Water dissolves a tablet that releases a spring loaded valve to shut the water off.

So they are one-time use - and then need to be replaced???

 

[Twowaxhack]

So they are one-time use - and then need to be replaced???

Yes
They cost around $150.

The company will give you a 30% discount on a replacement if you return the old one.

 

[wpns]

Apparently a single-use device, once your hot water tank fails, replacing the Water And (optionally) Gas Shutoff valve is the least of your problems. It looks like it would be easy to make it resettable (water-activated life vests have reset/recharge kits), but I'm sure their lawyers threw a fit, someone rebuilding it wrong would cause Tasco to lose a lawsuit.

Of course, if your over-temp/pressure valve leaks, then it could get annoying. Probably best to install it with unions in case of nuisance trips? Still at $128 list that might get expensive, but Twowaxhack says there's a 'core charge', so that might help.

http://paragoninspects.com/articles/pdfs/plumbing/water-heaters/plumbing/leak-control/wags-valve.pdf
Kinda too bad they don't make one with an electrical shutoff, but then adding a Big Honking Breaker probably adds more complexity, and having an electrical element get stuck on is probably less bad than leaving the gas heater running. I'd settle for a low-voltage contact to tie into an alarm system, (or Raspberry Pi), but I suppose a dedicated water sensor is easier for Tasco, then they don't have to deal with UL at all.

 

[Twowaxhack]

The idea is that it doesn’t rely on electronics at all.

The relief line is ran independently outside on my particular job.

Any drip that can fill the pan up with 1” of water will activate the WAGS valve and it’ll need to be replaced.

I put a cap on the drain valve, just in case

The firing mechanism was developed for military lifeboats if memory serves me correctly. It’s pretty reliable.

 

[Twowaxhack]

I’ll post some pics up a little later of the install.

I’m about to jump in the van and head to the customers house. I’m doing two water heaters for them today.

No expansion tanks will be used, the system is open. Our city code doesn’t require it, the model code was amended by the local board.

 

[Twowaxhack]

 

[Twowaxhack]

Apparently a single-use device, once your hot water tank fails, replacing the Water And (optionally) Gas Shutoff valve is the least of your problems. It looks like it would be easy to make it resettable (water-activated life vests have reset/recharge kits), but I'm sure their lawyers threw a fit, someone rebuilding it wrong would cause Tasco to lose a lawsuit.

Of course, if your over-temp/pressure valve leaks, then it could get annoying. Probably best to install it with unions in case of nuisance trips? Still at $128 list that might get expensive, but Twowaxhack says there's a 'core charge', so that might help.

http://paragoninspects.com/articles/pdfs/plumbing/water-heaters/plumbing/leak-control/wags-valve.pdf
Kinda too bad they don't make one with an electrical shutoff, but then adding a Big Honking Breaker probably adds more complexity, and having an electrical element get stuck on is probably less bad than leaving the gas heater running. I'd settle for a low-voltage contact to tie into an alarm system, (or Raspberry Pi), but I suppose a dedicated water sensor is easier for Tasco, then they don't have to deal with UL at all.

What I will say about the link you provided.

The link states that the valve is unaffected by high humidity. That’s not true. High humidity environments can make the unit activate over time.

 

[Twowaxhack]

No one caught that I piped the wags valve backwards.


I had to correct it after I took the pics

 

[havasu]

I saw that, but only because someone told me earlier. LOL

 

[twistedspinner]

What I will say about the link you provided.

The link states that the valve is unaffected by high humidity. That’s not true. High humidity environments can make the unit activate over time.

Just want to chime in about the humidity affecting the valve, our water heater is in the unheated attic and just had the third one in 22 years trip, with no leakage of the water heater. We are on the Oregon Coast. Humidity does affect the valve. Even the extra we bought and stored next to the water heater in the attic has tripped. Luckily we had the last plumber install a bypass in case this happened.

 

[Twowaxhack]

Just want to chime in about the humidity affecting the valve, our water heater is in the unheated attic and just had the third one in 22 years trip, with no leakage of the water heater. We are on the Oregon Coast. Humidity does affect the valve. Even the extra we bought and stored next to the water heater in the attic has tripped. Luckily we had the last plumber install a bypass in case this happened.

We had already arrived at that conclusion.

https://www.wagsvalve.com/faqs/

 

[Mitchell-DIY-Guy]

While this wags valve is clearly not recommended for use in the attic… Not a really good place to put a water heater either.

It’s nice that they explain why. The high temperature and high humidity of an attic is also present in the garage in the south like mine. Where the water heater is!!!