Water heaters are intended to store water (tanked, not the tankless water heater design) and keep it hot until you need it. It sends the water through your pipes to the shower, faucet, or bathtub on demand. While it’s the pipes most prone to leakage, there’s always the risk the heater itself starts to leak.
So what do you do? Is it time to call in an emergency plumber, or can you try to fix the problem yourself? If you want to try the water heater repair, here’s what you need to know:
Step 1: Find the leak. This is always the first step in any plumbing job. The leak is most likely to be coming from either the drain valve (the spigot set into the base of the tank) or the tank itself. A leaking drain valve is easy to replace, but a leaking tank will require the replacement of the whole heater. If the tank leaks, it’s usually the result of built-up sediment that has corroded the inner lining.
Step 2: Shut it off. Whether the leak is coming from the drain valve or the tank, you want to reduce the amount of water wasted. That means shutting off the heater and the water supply. ALWAYS shut off the heater first! Turn the water heater to the “off” position and give it a moment for the heating element to switch off. Next, look at the pipes above your water heater and look for a lever, dial, or valve. It should be in the “On” position, and you need to turn it into the “Off” position.
Step 3: Call the experts. That’s right, whether it’s a leaking drain valve or a leaking tank, you don’t want to handle the water heater repair yourself! Water heaters are finicky appliances that can break easily if you don’t know what you’re doing. Call Ford’s Plumbing and Heating and let us handle the job.
Replacing the drain valve will usually be a small, inexpensive job. However, if the leaking water is coming from the water tank itself, we’re going to recommend that you replace the tank. You’ll spend less on a new water heater (both the initial purchase and the long-term cost) than you would on trying to fix a leaking water heater tank.
