The right way to Repair a Water Heater Leaking From the Backside

A leaking water heater is rarely excellent news, so in case you’ve observed water pooling across the base of your water heater, put together your self for some emergency plumbing restore. Usually, a water heater leak is a simple repair and doesn’t at all times imply you’ll want to exchange your heater.

That being mentioned, it’s at all times completely essential to get to the supply of the difficulty, particularly if you discover your scorching water heater leaking from the underside.

Listed here are 5 potential explanation why you discovered your water heater leaking from the underside and remedy every of them.

Drain Valve is Leaking

Downside: Imagine it or not, this might be excellent news. Drain valve leaks are sometimes on the cheaper aspect of scorching water heater repairs. If the water is leaking from the drain valve, it’s an indication that the drain valve is failing in a roundabout way. The leak could also be sluggish and unnoticeable at first, however it nonetheless must be repaired or it might find yourself flooding your basement.

Resolution: Name your plumber to have them exchange your defective drain valve in case you decide it’s actually the explanation you’ve water leaking from the underside of the water heater. In some instances, a scorching water heater leaking from the drain valve might be a sign that your scorching water heater itself is failing, however normally, it’s because of a difficulty within the drain valve. An skilled plumber will be capable of restore that shortly for you.

Damaged Stress Aid Valve

Downside: Regulating the water temperature and stress inside your scorching water heater is crucial to preserving your own home secure. With out this, your scorching water heater might find yourself exploding. The stress aid valve is designed as a security function in your scorching water heater.

When temperatures or stress attain or exceed a sure degree, the stress aid valve opens to launch some stress and water, permitting chilly air to enter the tank and decrease each the temperature and stress inside.

Your stress launch valve can leak or break for a few causes, one being that it was triggered to open because of extreme stress or temperatures. The opposite purpose is that it was a defective valve to start with. 

Resolution: In case your stress aid valve has opened because of extreme temperatures or stress inside your tank, then what appears like a leak is definitely a part of your unit’s regular working procedures. On this case, the water will drain out of the discharge pipe and all the things ought to return to regular.

In case your stress aid valve is defective, then that might be because of an incapacity to correctly seal, or it might have gotten caught in an open place. On this case, knowledgeable plumber might want to examine this part of your unit to establish the difficulty. They are going to in all probability want to exchange the valve. 

Within Tank is Leaking

Downside: In case you discover water leaking from the underside of the water heater, however you can not establish a valve or pipe that it appears to be coming from—reasonably, it appears to be coming from the tank itself—then there’s some dangerous information. If a leak is coming from the tank itself, the almost definitely purpose for that is that sediment has constructed up inside your tank and prompted corrosion on the within.

Primarily, your scorching water heater is corroding from the within out which is extraordinarily harmful not solely to your high quality of water but additionally to your house. 

Resolution: Contact a plumber instantly. Your scorching water heater will should be changed as quickly as potential. 

Anode Rod is Corroded

Downside: In case you discover your scorching water heater leaking from the underside, test your tank’s anode rod. The anode rod is a protracted, skinny rod that sits inside your scorching water heater. It’s designed to soak up any and all corrosive supplies that stay inside your scorching water heater—primarily so these supplies “eat up” the anode rod and don’t corrode your precise scorching water heater tank. 

In case your anode rod has utterly corroded, then there may be nothing left to distract these corrosive supplies, and so they could find yourself going after the within of your tank. 

Resolution: Any time your anode rod has been all used up, it’s going to should be changed to guard the integrity of your unit. Any time you allow your scorching water heater to function with out an anode rod, you threat water leaking from the underside of the water heater or even the highest. Have knowledgeable plumber come out to exchange your tank’s anode rod as shortly as potential.

Condensation

Downside: In case you discover your scorching water heater leaking from the underside, test to make sure the moisture you’re discovering is definitely a leak and never condensation. Your scorching water heater is able to creating as much as a half-gallon of water vapor per hour of operation as a result of intense strategy of taking low-temperature water from piping and transferring it full of warmth.

The condensation can accumulate in your unit, making it seem as if you’ve a water heater leaking from the underside when in actuality, it’s innocent condensation.

Resolution: Condensation gathering on the skin of your unit is innocent to your scorching water heater. It’s not really a leak, so it doesn’t require any consideration from knowledgeable plumber. Ensure you at all times examine any water gathering round your scorching water heater, even in case you assume it’s simply condensation, to make sure a extra severe problem isn’t current.

If what you thought was your scorching water heater leaking from the underside seam seems to be condensation, don’t fear about it. That is regular for decent water heaters.

The right way to Stop Leaks from the Backside of Your Water Heater

It solely is smart that you’d need to forestall your water heater leaking from the underside as leaks could be harmful and costly. Remember that the age of your unit, the standard of set up, and common upkeep all have an enormous impact on the well being and dealing high quality of your scorching water heater.

Older models are extra susceptible to leakage and whereas that’s one thing you can not assist, there are some belongings you do have management over: who you permit to work in your scorching water heater. You possibly can simply find yourself with a scorching water heater leaking from the underside if it was poorly put in. At all times work with knowledgeable when coping with your plumbing set up and repairs.

Common upkeep performs an enormous position in stopping your water heater leaking from the underside since common inspections and tune-ups can help you catch an issue earlier than it happens. Issues like defective valves, corroding anode rods, stress regulation, and extra are all checked by knowledgeable throughout common scorching water heater upkeep. The very best factor you are able to do to maintain your scorching water heater leaking from backside seams is to get it frequently serviced.

Name John C. Flood for Water Heater Repairs

In case you can’t simply determine the explanation why your water heater is leaking from the underside, you must name knowledgeable plumbing service to get the difficulty repaired shortly and accurately. The expert plumbers at John C. Flood can’t solely provide help to establish the supply of your scorching water heater leak, however they’ll additionally provide help to restore it and defend your own home in opposition to extra water damages.

John C. Flood is providing $75 off any water heater set up, so schedule service at this time.

John C. Flood, Inc. can’t be held liable or chargeable for any private or property damages incurred if the end-user makes an attempt any of the aforementioned DIY ideas and directions.