Even well performing water heaters can have leaks this is one reason that you should perform inspections of your water heater at minimum every six months.
A leaking water heater can be very unsettling because the first thing that enters your mind is the expense to replace the tank.
Not only that but because the weight of even an empty tank means its a two person job along with the cost to have your trash man pick up the old one, replacement of a water heater is something that some people don’t do themselves even if they are able to perform the work.
If you find that you have a puddle of water under or around your water heater here are a few things that you can check before deciding to replace it.
Drain Valve
One of the most common leak problems is your drain valve. This is the hose spigot type valve located at the bottom of your water heater that allows you to drain it when you need to service the heater or to remove sediment buildup.
If the valve is seldomly used and you drain the tank using this valve you may find that it will not seal again. You may also find that a very small leak can occur where it may take hours or even days to buildup enough water to cause a puddle to form.
In this case you can try to manipulate the valve by opening and closing it a number of times to get a good seat or you can remove it and clean the seat. Depending on the exact type of valve used you may end up replacing the seat washer which is very inexpensive or simply replacing the whole valve.
Whatever the problem is a simple leak in this area is not indication for a major service call or replacement of the heater.
Temperature Pressure Relief Valve
The TPR valve is a special valve installed by the manufacturer to release pressure in case of overheating in your water heater’s boiler. For the most part this valve should never leak and it should not be activated.
Periodically when you drain your water heater it may be recommended that you activate this valve manually to make sure that it is still in working condition and is not blocked from sediment or mineral deposits.
The TPR Valve will often be attached to a metal pipe that runs down the side of the tank and it may or may not be plumbed to a waste water line or sump pump pit to catch any overflow.
If you find that the valve will not close again after you have tested it you should replace and not try to fix it.
If you find that the valve has been activated then you should turn the heater off and call a professional. More then likely there is a thermostat problem that is causing the boiler to heat the water beyond the limits of the tank and this could cause a problem that must be cured right away.
Heating Element Gasket
Elements in electric heaters can be replaced and depending on the design and size of your heater you should have 2 heating elements. Over prolonged use of the water heater the elements will deteriorate however the element may have been installed incorrectly at the factory or it may have been replaced wrong during servicing.
A gasket leak is usually slow and constant. You will normally need to remove the front service plate to access the element and replace the gasket.
If you have an older water heater and the gasket is failing then you probably should just replace the element and the gasket in a set unless cost is really a factor for you.
Anode Rods that can be replaced are very similar to Heating Elements and should be checked for presence of leaks.
Supply lines
The cold water supply and hot water feed lines don’t normally leak but they are a place to check if you find a pool of water around your water heater.