Why Is Water Heater Leaking

The first thing you ll want to do is determine where the water heater leak is located.

Why is water heater leaking.

Before you resign yourself to replacing the entire water heater take a few minutes to determine where the leak is actually coming from and you may be able to fix the leak yourself with little or no cost. Your water heater tank should have a dedicated shutoff valve on the cold inlet pipes. If this is a gate style valve a wheel that turns turn the valve clockwise as far as you can. The most likely scenario in this case is that sediment has built up and corroded the bottom of the tank causing a serious problem and the need for an entirely new water heater.

The valve is usually a lever or a knob type valve. It s on the cold water pipe which supplies water to the water heater. This is caused by years of sediment building up in the bottom of the water heater tank. A water heater leaking from the bottom is not always an indication of tank failure.

Eventually the bottom of the tank will rust through and begin to leak. Although these are the two most common causes of a leaking water heater they are. The threads are the thinnest part on the nipple and it is not unusual to find leaks in them. If the leak is coming from the bottom of the tank it is not looking good for you.

Turn off the water. Luckily we re here to help. Find the cold water inlet valve. Water leaking from your water heater is a bad sign regardless of where the leak is coming from.

In most cases when a water heater is leaking from the top it s usually pretty easy to pinpoint to leak. If after attempting to fix the problem your water heater is still leaking turn off the power and cold water supply and contact a professional plumber. Most water heaters last between 10 to 13 years and if one is leaking from the bottom of the tank inside the burner compartment old age might be the cause. If you experience a leaking water heater it is recommended to turn off the water to your tank.

The relief valve is working the way it s intended and water drained to reduce the pressure inside the tank. A leaking water heater can be a symptom to a more serious problem so it s important to always keep a close eye on your heater after performing any repairs. Why it s leaking and what to do about it water heaters come equipped with a temperature and pressure relief valve also known as a tprv. What to do with a leaking water heater step 1.

There s a problem with the valve such as a faulty seal and the water is unintentionally leaking. Is the leak on the top of the water heater if so continue on to the section below labeled my water heater is leaking from the top.