Water Heater Leaking? What to Do Right Now

Finding water around your water heater is stressful, especially if it's in a closet, an attic or next to finished flooring. Some leaks are an easy fix. Others mean the tank is done. Here's what to do in the first few minutes, and how to tell which kind you have.

Step 1: Shut It Down Safely

1. Turn off the heat. For an electric water heater, switch off its breaker. For gas, turn the control knob to "Off." If you smell gas, leave the house and call your gas utility or 911 from outside.
2. Turn off the water supply. Close the cold water valve on the pipe going into the top of the heater. If it won't turn, shut off the main water to the house. See where to find your main shut-off.
3. Protect the area. Move boxes and anything valuable away, and soak up the water so you can see where new water is coming from.

Be careful around the tank. The water inside can be hot enough to scald, and a valve or fitting can release hot water when you touch it.

Step 2: Find Where It's Coming From

Dry everything off with towels and watch for a few minutes. Where the water starts tells you a lot:

• At the top, from the pipe connections: a loose fitting or a worn connector. Usually repairable.
• From the relief valve or its drain pipe: the temperature and pressure relief valve on the side or top of the tank is opening. This is a safety device. It can mean the pressure or temperature is too high, or the valve itself is worn. Don't plug or cap it.
• From the drain valve near the bottom: the valve may just need tightening or replacing, especially if someone recently flushed the tank.
• From the bottom of the tank itself: the tank has rusted through. This can't be repaired, and the leak will get worse.
• Drips under a gas water heater on a cold morning: sometimes it's just condensation that dries up once the tank warms. If it doesn't stop, it's a leak.

Why Relief Valves Open

When water heats, it expands. In many homes, a check valve or pressure regulator on the main line keeps that extra water from flowing back toward the street, so pressure builds inside the tank. A small thermal expansion tank on the cold line absorbs it. If the expansion tank is missing or has failed, the relief valve may drip every time the heater runs. Very high water pressure from the street, or a thermostat set too high, can do it too.

These are fixable, but they need a plumber. A relief valve that drips is doing its job, and the cause should be found.

Repair or Replace?

Leaking connections, a worn drain valve, or a relief valve problem are usually repairs. It's time to replace the water heater when:

• Water is coming from the tank itself
• There's rust on the tank or rusty hot water
• The heater is more than about 10 years old. In Tampa Bay's hard water, most tanks last 8 to 12 years.
• It's also noisy, slow to heat, or running out of hot water. See why your water heater is popping.

A replacement in Florida requires a permit, which your plumber pulls as part of the job. It's also a good time to consider going tankless.

Water Heaters in Attics and Closets

Many Tampa Bay homes have the water heater in an attic, an interior closet or a laundry room instead of the garage. A leak there can damage ceilings, walls and floors before anyone notices. A few things help:

• A drain pan under the heater, piped to drain somewhere safe
• A water leak alarm on the floor next to the heater, which beeps or sends a phone alert when it gets wet
• Replacing the heater before it fails if it's past 10 years old in a spot where a leak would do real damage

Need Help With a Leaking Water Heater?

Believe Plumbing repairs and replaces tank and tankless water heaters, gas and electric, across Tampa Bay, including Tampa, Brandon, Clearwater and Plant City. See our water heater services or contact us.