A conventional water heater usually lasts around 10-12 years with proper and timely care. Even in this lifespan, there always remains a risk that the water heater might leak. So, if you ever experience such issue with your water heater, don’t go crazy! Water heater leaks are not a big deal. It can easily be mended if you don’t come up with a major issue.
Here are a few things that you need to do immediately with a leaking hot water heater.
Determine the Source
First of all, inspect the source when you notice a small amount of water in the base of your water heater. Water in the base of your water heater doesn’t mean it’s leaking. There are such things like pipes; fittings, etc. can also be the reason. So, you need to pay close attention to determine the source of the water in the base or near your water heater. Just wipe up the water you found and observe the possible sources carefully.
Turn Off the Water Heater
The next thing you need to do is- turn off the power supply of your water heater immediately after you notice any sign of leaking. No matter, whether your water heater uses gas or electricity, both of them can be a dangerous business in contact with water. If your water heater is electricity powered, simply open the circuit breaker box and turn off the power supply to your water heater.
If your water heater is gas powered, there should be an “On/Off” switch or dial. Make sure you turned it “Off” when you notice any sign of leakage.
Shut Down the Supply
Now, the next thing you can do to avoid any unwanted circumstances is- stop the supply of hot water from your water heater. Heated water can easily bring about a disastrous scenario that you would never like to see. Heated water can cause serious burns being in contact with your skin. You may even experience serious injury being on an indirect contact with hot water. So, don’t forget to take precautions while going to turn off the supply of hot water to avoid the risk of being injured.
Locate the Leak
There might be a number of causes of the leak on your water heater. So, it is indeed a decent idea to locate the leak before calling a professional plumber. Sometimes, you might notice water on the basement of your water heater leaking from the fitting or pipes as well. In such cases, you can repair the things yourself and save a few bucks other than calling a professional. So, don’t hurry to call a professional rather locate the leak first and then proceed further.
Take Immediate Action
When you are done with the steps above, it’s time to do the right thing right away. Now, if you find a major issue that requires repairing or replacement, do it immediately. Don’t forget to call a professional if things are serious and never risk your investment to save a few pennies.
At this point, we hope you went through the lines and came to realize what to do with a leaking water heater. We believe you are wise enough to understand that your leaking water heater won’t be mended itself. So, don’t delay and risk your property.