Leaking Water Heater

Does your water heater leak all over your floor? There are a few different reasons that cause a water heater to leak. One being the tank is old and needs to be replaced. Another is that there is water coming from somewhere else other than the water heater. There is no point having a plumber come to your house and find that the water heater is leaking a lot more then you said, then he has to go and buy another one for you. Your bill will have gone up considerably, so you may as well do a quick checklist and some light troubleshooting before your plumber gets to your home.

The number one most common leak is the tank. If your water heater has a leak somewhere in the tank you need to get a new tank. But if the water is coming from above the heater and is soaking through the insulation down through the tank then you may be able to fix the leak with out replacing the tank.

Your water heater gets worn out when the tank starts to get rusty inside or if you have too much hard water in your area. In both cases you can expect the tank to have a short life, about 8-10 years. If your tank is older then that then you may have a tank that was built with a thicker galvanized sheet then newer ones today.

The relief valve is the next thing to leak the most. If yours is leaking then replace the valve with a new one, DO NOT PLUG the valve off. I have seen this many times and you are only asking for an explosion. The valve is there for your protection. The valve is meant to release water if the pressure or the temperature gets too high. If you plug it off and the valve can not release then you will cause our water heater to explode.

The next most common leak is the drain valve. If the drain valve is leaking I recommend changing it with a ball valve. You need to change it anyway and for the extra $15 you might as well put in something good.

The other leaks that I have seen on a water heater are with electrical tanks. And the seal had failed at the connection causing water to leak out. And the next most common water leak is from another source above the water heater, then makes it look like the heater is leaking. I have seen water leaking from the shut off valve above the water heater and dripping. I have also seen water coming from the floor above. In one case the water was leaking from a bathroom sink that had a drip from underneath. And in another case the drip was coming from the humidifier valve. It was dripping onto the side of the furnace and leaking down beside the water heater, but there was enough water that is just looked like it was from the water heater.

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