What to do when your hot water heater is leaking?

10/14/2020 (Permalink)

The dreaded Hot Water Heater leak. Unfortunately, over time with wear and tear this is an absolute possibility. Should you find yourself in this situation follow the steps below to either solve or prevent the issue. 

1: Checking the Heater

The first thing you must do is check on the water heater regularly. In some homes the water heater is in an inconvenient spot however, it could be the difference between thousands in repairs and a couple hundred dollars to fix a leak.

It is highly recommend that you inspect to see if there are wet spots on or around the tank. Condensation forms on the tank as a result of the temperature. This drips onto your flooring.

2: What to do if there is a leak.

To begin, turn off the water valve to ensure that you don’t have a leak. When the water valve is turned off, the leak will persist because the water inside the tank has nowhere else to go. Next, wipe off the tank with a cloth to make sure it is dry. When the tank is dry, inspect for more water. Again, leaks will drip on the floor, but condensation will appear at random and bead on the tank.

#3: Turning Off The Power

You can shut off the power to your water heater to perform the process above, but you must remember to wipe off the tank. When the tank is dry, you can shut off the power and check for further condensation or leaks. It's best to do the process once a week just to ensure the heater works properly.

#4: Where Is The Leak Coming From?

To decipher exactly what is going on it's best to call a professional plumber as soon as the leak is discovered.  In the meantime, it is imperative to shut off the water valve to avoid excessive water damage and hang tight.

Should you have a Water Damage as a result give the professionals here at SERVPRO of Oldham/Shelby County a call today to speak with a Mitigation specialist. 502.241.6861