Tips to Find Your Water Heater Leaking
Discovering that your water heater has a leak can be a pretty frightening thing, and if left unattended, it could lead to serious consequences, including flooding and damage to your home. First, you should find out if the water heater leaking is a quick problem you can fix on your own, and if not, then call Dutton Plumbing to help with the repairs.Quick Do-It-Yourself Fixes
There are a few minor issues that you can fix on your own when you see a water heater leaking. If the leak appears to be pretty minor, you can check for these three things first:
- Condensation – when cool air meets the warm water it can drip from the water heater. If the water heater leaks when it comes on but stops as the unit warms up, it’s likely just condensation build-up.
- Drain Valve – when the drain valve is not properly tightened, small amounts of water can leak from the faucet at the bottom of the water heater. Tightening the valve should stop the leak in this case.
- Temperature – keep the water temperature at or below 120 degrees to avoid leaks from the temperature-pressure relief valve.
Hiring the Professionals
If these quick fixes don’t solve the problem or you see significant water leaking from your water heater, contact a Simi Valley Region plumbing company immediately. Then, take these three critical steps to prevent any additional damage.
- Cut the power, either by turning off the gas valve (for gas water heaters) or shutting off the electricity through the circuit breaker (for electric water heaters).
- Stop water flow into the water heater by turning off the cold water valve.
- Remove all water from the water heater by draining it using a hose attached to the drain valve. Drain the water into a sink, floor drain, or gutter.
Once you have taken these three steps you can wait for Dutton Plumbing to come and help with your water heater leaking. Waiting and hoping that the problem goes away or trying to fix it on your own is a bad idea, and can lead to more serious problems. These could include mold, mildew, flooding, and damage to your foundation and walls. Contact Dutton Plumbing today to get your water heater checked out.
