When you have a leaking water heater, it can be a major pain. Luckily, if you know what to do in such a situation, you may be able to fix the leak yourself for little cost, depending on where the leak is located. However, be sure to use caution while investigating the leaking water heater, as these are very dangerous appliances.
First, a quick overview of the parts of a water heater is necessary, so that you’ll have a much easier time troubleshooting your leaking water heater. The most obvious part of course, is the tank. The large, steel reservoir contains the water, which is heated up inside of it. There are also hot and cold water supply lines, which feed hot and cold water to and from the tank. These supply pipes are located at the top of the hot water heater. Another key part of the water heater is the temperature pressure relief valve, which is located near the water supply pipes at the top of the hot water heater. The responsibility of the relief valve is to release water to relieve the pressure inside of the tank if too much builds up. Lastly, the drain valve, which is located near the bottom of the tank, releases the water inside of the tank if you choose to drain the tank.
Troubleshooting a Leaking Water Heater
Since electric and gas water heaters have the same essential parts, troubleshooting either type for a leak is the same, except for one extra area of concern for gas water heaters. The first step is to locate the area on your hot water heater that the water is leaking from. If the water is dripping from the temperature pressure relief valve, the hot and cold water supply pipes or the drain valve, you’re probably in luck, as these are normally easy to fix and involve little to no cost. If the leak is on the base of the tank, however, you will most likely need to purchase a new hot water heater.
Unless it is automatically obvious where the leak is coming from, you may want to check whether you have a leaking water heater at all, or if the water is actually from condensation. To determine whether water dripping from the sides or from the top of the water heater is condensation rather than a leak, simply turn off the power to your water heater for a few hours. If water still continues to drip from it, then you definitely have a leak in the water heater.
It may be beneficial to test for a leak in the hot and cold water supply pipes, even if a leak in the area isn’t apparent (unless you’re already sure the leak is on the actual tank). A leaking water heater may be a simple, inexpensive fix if the supply lines near the top of the water heater are the source of the leak, so it’s worth the time it takes to check, if you’re not sure where the leak stems from. If you check the ball valves on each of the lines and the nuts are loose, you can use a cotton swab to determine whether water is leaking from them. If the supply lines are leaking, this can usually be fixed simply by using a wrench to tighten the nuts. If these are already tight, or tightening the connections seemed to have no effect on the leak, it is advisable to call a professional for help. Since the cause of the leaking water heater may be excess pressure built up within the tank, a qualified expert should handle the issue, as too much excess pressure may cause the hot water heater to explode if you don’t know what you’re doing.
If the leaking water is dripping out of the temperature pressure relief valve, rather than from the supply pipes, this may actually be the sign of a normally functioning hot water heater. However, this generally indicates that the leaking water heater has built up pressure within the tank from the temperature settings being too high, or the water is simply being heated to too high of a temperature. Thus, be sure not to touch the water that drips out of the relief valve, as it will likely be scalding hot. If the source of your water heater leak is the temperature pressure relief valve, you can call a water heater repair service to find out the correct temperature settings.
A leak in the drain valve near the base of the water heater tank is also a problem that may be an inexpensive fix, or one you can resolve on your own for no cost at all. If water is leaking from the drain valve, it may be loose or faulty. If the valve is loose, simply tighten it with a wrench. If this doesn’t resolve the issue, or if the drain valve appears to need replacement (i.e. it looks worn out), you’ll need to contact a professional to fix the valve (which is much less expensive than getting the entire water heater replaced!).
In gas water heaters, one last cause for water leakage (other than from the tank) is the vent near the top of the hot water heater. The vent, which when functioning normally emits gas fumes, can sometimes become clogged and cause a leak as well as other types of problems. Professional assistance is needed to repair this issue.
Lastly, if the water heater is leaking from the tank, this is unfortunately an indication that you’ll have to buy a new hot water heater. When the source of the leaking water heater is the tank, this is usually irreparable damage caused by rust and corrosion. Oftentimes, calcium or iron oxide will settle to the bottom of the water tank, and over time, the substances eat through the metal of the tank. This can be avoided with your new hot water heater by draining the calcium deposits in the tank on a yearly basis.
Remember, a leaking water heater is usually no walk in the park to fix, so if you’re unsure about your abilities to fix your water heater, it is always safest to call a plumber or water heater specialist to do the job for you!