Temperature rising? Pressure building? Has that innocent looking pipe that’s been dormant for years suddenly come to life with a steady drip, drip, drip? Don’t panic yet, you’ve just entered "the water heater pressure zone". To be sure, follow the pipe up to where you find a brass valve, on top the water heater or on the side near the top. That’s the temperature and pressure relief valve that keeps things in check and it needs testing periodically for safety and operational efficiency. To do so open and close the small lever to flush the valve. If this hasn’t been done for a long time it may drip. If so, open and close it again and monitor for a day or two to be sure it quits. You can also tap it gently with a small hammer and reopen and close a few times to reseat it. Should it ever open on it’s own it signals a problem meaning it’s time to call in a pro pronto. And that’s the On The House tip for today...