What If My Hot Water Heater Is Leaking?

Hot water heaters, in general, will last you 8 to 12 years if you take good care of them. 

Even with regular maintenance, there’s always a chance your water heater could leak. This isn’t a sign that your water heater needs replacing. In fact, it might be a small repair that can be patched up pretty easily. 

Still, time is of the essence. If there’s a leak, a problem exists. And if not corrected as quickly as possible, it can escalate to the point of no return. That means you’ll have no choice but to install a new water heater. 

If you find a leak, there are a few things you can do while waiting on one of our team members to visit your home and find out what’s causing the leak. 

Cut The Power

The first step is to cut the power supply that connects to your hot water heater to heat the water supply. If you have a gas water heater, find the thermometer. The knob will have three settings: on, off, and pilot. Switch it to off to shut off the gas supply and make it safe to work on. 

Shut Off The Water

The next step is to eliminate any more water from entering the system. First, find the cold water line that leads into your water heater. There should be a valve on the line. Turn that valve to the right until it closes. This will stop the water supply and allow you to move to the next step. 

Drain The Water Heater

To determine where the problem with the water heater lies, the tank will have to be drained. This is an important step … and one of the messiest. We’re happy to take it from here. 

To do it yourself, find the drain valve near the bottom of your hot water heater. Attach a garden hose to it. Run the hose to a floor drain or your sump pit. When the hose is in place, turn the valve back on. Once open, you may notice the water barely moves or doesn’t move well. That’s because there’s a vacuum in the water heater to prevent leaks. Simply turn on any hot water faucet in your home to break the vacuum. This lets air into the tank and allows it to drain. Once you have a good flow, it takes about an hour to drain. 

That’s where we come in. With these processes already completed, we can enter your home and find the problem quickly. Then we’ll help you make the right decision to repair or replace your hot water heater, and have you back up and operational in no time.