Is your hot water heater leaking? A leaking water heater is just one problem that you might experience, but it really should be fixed right away. Obviously upon seeing the hot water heater leaking, you need to begin to look for the location where the water is coming from, how bad the leak is and whether or not it is repairable. We would hate to replace the hot water heater if the answer is a fairly easy fix, so on that note let us try and identify the leak source and figure out if it is an issue that can be fixed.
Its quite common for a hot water heater to begin leaking. In general, there are three really common places in which a hot water heater will start to leak. Two of these issues will often be easily repaired and one might require replacement. Water Heater Leaking – How to Repair It:
So to start, lets assume that the water heater is leaking from the base of the water tank. 99 percent of the time when you notice a water heater leaking from the base it should be replaced. Why? Due to the fact its commonly caused by corrosion and rust. A water heater is just a storage tank that holds water, after a few years of holding water the tank can start to rust and deteriorate which leads to leaks and perhaps appliance malfunction. There isn’t any other way to repair tank corrosion and if it’s at the point of leaking, you need to just go out and buy yourself a new water heater.
Now lets look at the water lines near the top of the water tank. If you’re noticing that the pipes entering into and out from the tank are leaking, this is actually your lucky day. In most instances this leak could be repaired by just using a wrench and tightening the pipe fittings. In the event the fittings already are tight, or tightening appeared to have little to no effect, don’t fret, you can still deal with this. The very first thing you need to do is turn-off the electricity to the water heater in addition to the water supply. Once everything is switched off, use the relief valve to discharge any pressure built-up within the water heater. Now you may undo the fitting that is leaking and cover those pipe threads with some plumbers tape, which is available at almost any hardware store. Be sure that the pipe threads are totally covered and you just have to go around them a couple of times with the tape. At this point just put the pipe together again and tighten it up. Turn everything back on and see if the leak continues.
The relief valve is yet another common place to find water leaking from. If the water is originating from the actual spout on the valve this may not be a problem. The relief valve was designed to allow water and built up pressure to release from the tank and sometimes it happens. Even so, it’s also wise to check out the temperature settings to make sure that the tank isn’t turned up to high and make certain the water heater is functional by turning on your faucets inside your home and checking the water temperature. In some instances, relief valves do need to be replaced, but this doesn’t happen very often.
Relief valves do go bad from time to time and if this is the case, you ought to be able to get one at your neighborhood home improvement store.