Lake Marine Products

I conducted some research regarding plumbing codes for Pa. Here is what I found; My home was built even prior to 2000 and is on a private well. And I thought that the Pressure/temperature valve to relieve any over pressure/temperature. Question
My home was built in PA in 2000.  I am selling and the buyer's inspector
said I need an expansion tank on my electric hot water heater to bring it up to
code.  It does have an expansion valve.  I don't understand how this
house past inspection if code states I need an expansion tank.  Is it true
that this is the code?
Answer
A home built in 2000 will not meet today's code in 2011, nor is it required to.
The Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code in effect today did not exist then.
Today an expansion tank is required in new construction because a check valve
is required in the water service pipe which prevents the expanding heated water
from pushing out back towards the street main. In older homes without that
valve, the expansion tank was not required unless the municipality had that
requirement in their ordinances when the home was built. The house probably did
pass required inspections when it was built.
Water companies are sometimes requiring the installation of a check valve in
the water service to prevent contamination of their system.  If that was
done, then the expansion tank should be installed.
If you still have the builder's original water heater in there, it's probably
nearing the end of it's useful lifespan. when it gets replaced, just add the
expansion tank then.
A home inspector is not permitted to perform code inspections. The only people
permitted to perform code inspections are those properly certified by the state
and employed by the municipality or the municipality's contracted third party
inspection agency. A home inspector is regulated by a different law. There's
also nothing that says you have to do anything because a home inspector or a
realtor says to. If the buyer wants to install an expansion tank, they're
welcome to after they own they home; but it's all relative to the price you're
getting.  
 Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:
Regards,
[redacted]

ABBEY PLUMBING & HVAC, LLC
SCHULTZ RD
LANSDALE, PA
TELE: ###-###-####
FAX: ###-###-####
HIC # [redacted]
September 14,
RevDex.com
Re: ID# [redacted]
On 8/27/we
received a dispatch from MrP[redacted]'s home warranty company ([redacted]) to
investigate the complaint of a leaking water heaterWe arrived on 8/28/and
determined that the water heater needed to be replacesMrP[redacted] paid $for
his service feeThe service fee is a payment due by the homeowner per their
contract with [redacted] warrantyIt is the homeowner's portion
of payment due to the mechanic to diagnosis the complaint, which Abbey Plumbing
did
Abbey Plumbing then
contacted [redacted] with our diagnosis in order to get approval from them to change
out the water heaterWe received notification from [redacted] on 8/29/that Mr
P[redacted] had stated that his specific township did not require permitsIt also
stated that expansion tanks were not necessaryAbbey Plumbing contacted his
township directly to verify this informationWe were informed by his township
that they did not require expansion tanks, but only if the customer was on a
well. We left MrP[redacted] a voice mail on
8/29/asking him to contact us so that we could verify what type of water service
he hadMrP[redacted] did not call us back with that informationAs far as the
policies and procedures of Abbey Plumbing, we pull permits to have work
inspected for the safety of all parties concerned and most townships do require
themIf we run into a township that does not require them, we handle it on a
case by case basisThermal expansion tanks are always requiredA well tank
for a well is not engineered for thermal expansion from a water heater
We also never told Mr P[redacted] that a drain plug
and plug were necessaryWe gave this information to [redacted] as an OPTIONWe give
it to all of our customersThe $will not be refunded as this is his
contractual obligation of payment per his home warranty that he signed a
contract withAny questions regarding this payment would have to be addressed
directly with them
MrP[redacted] is also
entitled to his opinion as to the ethics of our companyHowever, we have been
in business for years and are a second generation plumbing and heating
companyWe have been doing business with [redacted] for over years and would not still be doing business with them if we were
"ripping people off"
Sincerely,
Jacquelyn A[redacted]
Abbey Plumbing &
HVAC, LLC