Don’t take your water heater for granted. It’s easy to forget about your water heater until the water runs cold, but they require maintenance and replacement after so many years of usage. If your unit is older than ten years and is leaking, generating rusty water, or not heating water at all, it’s time to replace it.
If your water heater leak isn’t evident, you should troubleshoot it before shutting off the water supply. The presence of water beneath your water heater does not always imply that it is leaking.
If you can’t find the water source, dry the area and lay down some paper towels or newspapers. Return in a few days and see what’s new. If the water starts to flow again and you can’t find the source, your water heater is most likely leaking. The following tips will help you in monitoring the leaks.
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Use Hearing Sensation
If you suspect a water leak, turn off all external sources of sound, such as the radio or television, and rely on your senses to lead you. Many times, you might hear a leak before you notice any signs of water damage.
If you hear water flowing or leaking next to your water heater, follow the sound and look for visible evidence of a leak. If you hear water but don’t see a leak, there might be a leak inside the tank. It can occur because of regular wear and tear and necessitates the tank’s replacement.
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Condensed Water
When humid air encounters a cold surface, it condenses and creates water droplets which join to form liters of water. When water drops start to flow down the floor, you could imagine and think the water heater tank is leaking. The water heater, its pipes, or any other nearby pieces of equipment may be affected.
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Do A Quick Check of Fittings
Check for any issues with your water heater tank and related sewage pipelines and fittings. If condensation isn’t the reason for humidity, it might be a leak in your discharge pipelines, heater drain pipes, or other plumbing pipelining.
First things first, make sure that any standing water on the floor is entirely removed and dry. After that, search for any visible signs of water leaking from the water heater or other plumbing equipment. If nothing comes up, the source may be near. You’ll need to be careful and check the entire room since the leak might be coming from pipes at the above or other locations that are easy to ignore.
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Corroded Tank
A water heater’s lifespan is limited. Your tank may be leaking due to rust eating away at the metal. If that’s the matter, you must replace the water heater.
If removing the old tank and installing a new water heater is beyond your abilities, get it replaced by a plumber or water heater expert. Our Austin service partners can provide you with free bids.
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Check the Upper Fittings
Examine the top of the heater, which is where the water enters and exits the tank. As the pipes joining the tank are prone to leaks owing to high pressure, here is where a water heater is most likely to fail.
Examine the tubes or pipes themselves, as well as the entrance points where they contact the tank, to see whether they’ve lost their seal. The pressure release valve, which is near the top of the tank, should be checked. Due to wear and tear, older valves leak from time to time and need replacement, water damage restoration companies.
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Check the Bottom
At the bottom of the tank, the flow control valve is the most common source of water heater leaks. If a slight leak occurs, use a water hose cap or spraying nozzle to stop it until the valve replacement. Replacing the flow control valve is a simple and inexpensive process. A pool of water forming behind the tank might result from a leak within the tank wall.
The above possibilities are the most common if your water heater is leaking, and I’ll help you identify and fix the water heater leaks. call us for water damage restoration companies.
