10 Steps to Take When Dealing with Heater Outflow

It is an awful thing to find your hot water heater leaking at the base, around the pressure valves, the connecting pipes or even at the tank area. And that’s not only because of the mess you’ll have to clean, the repair expenses you’ll have to pay or the lack of hot water when you shut the system down.

To have a leaking heater in your house or office is also dangerous to health. Why? Having a pool of water in your basement may cause electrocution when a live wire gets in contact with it; molds and mildew may grow that can eventually result to health problems; continuous outflow may lead to flooding that will damage the floor and walls of the house.

So now the question is, what should you do when you find out that your hot water heater leaks?

Steps To Take When Dealing With Heater Outflow

• Observe precautionary measures.
• Cut the power on the water heater by turning off the fuse or circuit breaker before working on the unit.
• Shut off the water supply to avoid flooding.
• Once you’re ready to check the leak, empty the water heater tank. Collect all the water from your hot water tap into a container. This will prevent accidents such as being sweltered by hot water.
• Identifying the source of the leak is a trial and error stage. You’ll need basic troubleshooting and plumbing skills to test and resolve suspected causes. Try these simple tips to inspect your hot water heater.
• Lower the temperature of your hot water heater. Maintaining a very high water temp will result to high pressure thus keeping the T&P relief valve open. This then results to leakage.
• If the leak is coming from the unit’s heating element, that part may require replacement.
• A water heater’s overflow pipe is also prone to seepage. If you find the leak coming from that area, place a bucket or container underneath and open the T&P valve. Flush it and make sure that is free from sediments before closing the valve back. If this doesn’t fix the leak, you’ll have to replace the overflow pipe.
• If the leaks are coming from the connecting pipes, try to tighten the flex lines and the drain valves a little bit more.
• Inspect the tank. When there’s a sign of corrosion, it’s possible that there may be tiny holes in it where the water seeps out. In that case, you’ll need a water heater replacement.

We hope you learned valuable steps to take when you find out that your hot water heater is leaking. For additional information or to schedule a service, call us at 1-877-7-4LEAKS.