Leading Causes of Water Heater Leaks
Leading Causes of Water Heater Leaks
Have you noticed a leak coming from your water heater? Well, we're here to help you diagnose it.
Water heater leaks can be caused by numerous things:
If the water heater is leaking from the bottom, then this is a sign of broken drain valves. Luckily, repairing this issue is no trouble for our plumbers.
If the water heater is leaking from the sides, that’s usually a sign of broken temperature or broken pressure valves.
Additional reasons water heaters can leak:
Corrosion is caused by sediment build-up which causes cracking in the tank. This means it’s time to replace the water heater.
Loose Water Line Connections are caused by natural wear-and-tear. The inlet or outlet water lines loosen over time, causing leaks. This can be repaired by replacing or tightening worn out/loose lines.
What to do once you discover the leak
You’ll need to cut the power. Be mindful of the type of water heater you have (gas, electric, etc.). For gas, you’ll need to turn the thermostat off. For electric, turn power going to the water heater off on your breaker panel.
Next, shut off the water. Find the cold-water line leading to the water heater and turn the valve until it closes.
Finally, drain the water tank. Find the drain valve and attach a garden hose to it (this should be near the bottom). Run the hose to a floor drain or sump pit. Once the hose is in place, open the valve. After you do this, you’ll notice the water either doesn’t flow or doesn’t flow very well. This is due to a vacuum. To break the vacuum, open any hot water faucet in your home. This will let air into the water tank and allow it to drain more easily. After you get a good flow, the tank should drain in about an hour.
Now that you’ve completed all the steps, it’s time to call NDI Plumbing to schedule your appointment to have a technician come out and repair your water heater.
If you were unable to complete any of the steps listed above, that’s no problem! Call and schedule your appointment and our technicians will handle the problem from start to finish.