Although these are the two most common causes of a leaking water heater they are.
Water heater leaking cold water from bottom.
Water leaking from the bottom.
Before you resign yourself to replacing the entire water heater take a few minutes to determine where the leak is actually coming from and you may be able to fix the leak yourself with little or no cost.
Replace the water heater if the leak is at the bottom of the tank.
It gets difficult at some point to prevent the water heater from leaking.
After draining or flushing a water heater it is common for the drain valve to fail to close completely.
Water leaking from your water heater is a bad sign regardless of where the leak is coming from.
Loose drain valve the drain valve is located at the bottom of the water heater tank.
If during your sleuthing you determined the leak wasn t coming from any of the above spots the trouble is at the bottom of.
The best part it actually isn t that hard to do.
Is the leak on the top of the water heater if so continue on to the section below labeled my water heater is leaking from the top.
The most likely scenario in this case is that sediment has built up and corroded the bottom of the tank causing a serious problem and the need for an entirely new water heater.
Once the water runs clear close the drain valve and fill the tank with cold water.
Checking the anode rod testing the t p valve inspecting for leaks and flushing your tank to remove sediment build up are all tasks that help your water heater reach it s full service life potential.
First turn off the water heater.
Luckily we re here to help.
Nonetheless a water heater like other appliances has a lifespan that eventually runs out.
A standard water heater lasts for 8 to 12 years but proper maintenance can keep it running for longer years than its lifespan.
For electric water heaters find the water heater s circuit breaker and flip it to off for gas water heaters look on your water heater for an on off switch or.
The first thing you ll want to do is determine where the water heater leak is located.
A leak in the drain valve at the bottom of the water heater is another common issue.
If the leak is coming from the bottom of the tank it is not looking good for you.
This drain valve can be capped with a hose cap or you can replace the drain valve completely with a new valve.
Once the tank is full turn back on the water heater.
Whenever your water heater kicks on and off it s possible for the vibrations to gradually loosen the drain.
How to prevent water heater leaking from the bottom.
A water heater leaking from the bottom is not always an indication of tank failure.