The Dos And Don'ts Of Repairing A Leaky Water Heater

It's one of a homeowner's worst nightmares: walking into the utility room to find a puddle of water on the floor around the water heater. If this has happened to you, it might be first-nature to jump to the worst possible conclusions. You may assume you're going to need to shell out thousands for a new water heater, but this doesn't need to be the case. Many water heater leaks can be repaired yourself with the right tools and know-how, but there are some important precautions you'll need to take first.

DO Ensure the Leak is Coming From the Water Heater

You might be surprised at just how common it is for people to assume a leak in a utility room is coming from the water heater. However, water heaters are often located around other appliances that could be leaking, such as washing machines, water softeners, and the like. Before you assume that the leak is coming from the water heater, double-check to be sure. You can do this by tracing the leaking water directly to its source.

DO Determine the Location of the Leak

Even if the leak is occurring within the water heater itself, there are still a number of specific places that it could be leaking from. Different repair protocols will need to be followed based on the specific location of the leak. For example, a water leak from the top of the heater may indicate a loose gasket, whereas a leak from the bottom may be the sign of rust or corrosion having eaten away at the water heater's tank.

DON'T Leave Water or Power On

Finally, if you decide to attempt any water heater repair on your own, you'll need to make sure that you shut off the water supply and the power to the heater itself. Otherwise, you could put yourself at risk of serious injury. Hot water coming from a water tank can easily cause first-degree burns on your skin immediately upon contact, so it's better to be safe than sorry. Shut off all power to the tank before you begin working on it.

As you can see, there's a lot to keep in mind when it comes to diagnosing and repairing a leaky water heater. If you have questions or run intro trouble at any point, you'll want to contact a professional like Christian Heating & Air Conditioning Inc to take over the job.


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