In many cases, homeowners are unaware of the problems that a leaking water heater can cause. From overflowing toilets to overflowing sinks and showers, your home will become a swamp if you don’t take care of the problem quickly. Replacing a leaking water heater is a major undertaking that requires knowledge and some expertise to do right. Here are some ways to ensure your leaky water heater doesn’t ruin your day.
Is a Leaking Water Heater Dangerous
A leaking water heater is a serious problem that can cause your home to flood, but it is not always an emergency. Most homeowners are unaware of the problems that a leaking water heater can cause. From overflowing toilets to overflowing sinks and showers, your home will become a swamp if you don’t take care of the problem quickly. Replacing a leaking water heater is a major undertaking that requires knowledge and some expertise to do right. Here are some ways to ensure your leaky water heater doesn’t ruin your day.
Signs Of A Leaking Water Heater
A leaking water heater can be detected by the following symptoms:
- A dripping faucet or thin stream of water from a hot-water tap
- High water bills
- A musty smell in your home
- Standing water around your water heater
- Water on the floor near your water heater
- The presence of mold, mildew, or fungus near your house
- A water heater that is not level
- A loud gurgling noise coming from your water heater
- A weak smell of sulfur or rotten eggs in your home
- The presence of mold or mildew in your water heater
- Discolored or mossy water coming from the faucet
- A musty smell coming from the air vents near your water heater
When the Problem is Small
What To Do If You Have A Leaking Water Heater? Step By Step
guide to replacing a water heater
- First you have to make sure that the water heater is not leaking. If the water heater leaks, you will see a puddle of water on the floor, or maybe even a little bit of water coming out of the pipe (especially if it is under your sink). Take out every cupboard in your home, and look for any leaks. If there is still no sign of leaks, then shut off all the faucets in your home and wait for about half an hour to see if anything changes. Usually, after half an hour, most people will notice that their faucets are dripping again. If this happens, then you know that there’s no leak.
- Next, you have to turn off the main valve on your water heater (this is usually located near your house somewhere near a spigot). When you turn off this valve, it turns everything else on in your home off too. This means that if there’s a leak, it will stop.
- If you have a gas water heater, you can turn off the gas to your water heater. This is usually done by turning a knob on the side of your gas water heater. If you have an electric water heater, then you have to turn off the breaker box located near your home somewhere.
- Before you start working on your water heater, make sure that nobody is in the house when you do it. You could be setting yourself up for an electrical shock if someone touches something when there’s electricity in the house (like a light switch). Also, make sure that there are no pets or children in the house when doing this step because they could get hurt if they touch something and get shocked by electricity (like touching an outlet).
- When starting with any type of work like this, always wear safety goggles or safety glasses and gloves (available at most hardware stores for cheap). Wear old clothes that are loose so that you can move around without getting anything caught in your clothes. Also, make sure that you have a very large bucket or pail of water to catch any leaks that might happen during the work.
- When working on any kind of plumbing, always turn off your main valve first before turning anything else on (like your water heater). This will help you avoid any electrical shocks from happening.
- After you’ve turned off your main valve, remove the vent pipe near the bottom of the water heater and look inside it for any cracks or holes (this is usually a black plastic pipe) and if it has cracks then replace it with a new one immediately because they are weak points in your plumbing system (and are dangerous). If there are no holes, then replace it with a new one anyway because these pipes get brittle over time and break easily when something hits them (like someone dropping something heavy on them).
- Cut off the power to your home by turning off all of the faucets in your home. Then turn the heating system (gas or electric) off.
- After you’ve turned off everything, remove the water heater from the wall and put it on a table or something so that you don’t accidentally drop it (I almost did this once).
- Remove all of the water lines and hoses attached to your water heater and replace them with new ones if they are old or damaged. Also, make sure that you replace any gaskets that might be cracked or damaged too (these are usually found in places like under sinks).
- After you’ve replaced all of your lines and hoses, put the new ones back in their place after making sure that they are hooked up correctly and tight (they should go back into their holes easily). Also, make sure to tighten up any loose connections at the ends of hoses as well before reinstalling them into their holes (this will help prevent leaks).
- Once everything is hooked up correctly, turn the water heater back on and make sure that it is not leaking by turning on the water at the faucets in your home. If you don’t hear any dripping or leaks, then your new water heater is working correctly and you can go ahead and turn off your main valve.
Common Problems With Leaking Water Heaters
Leaking water heaters are a common problem in today’s homes. If you’ve got one, you may be experiencing some of these symptoms:
Your water heater is leaking
There’s standing water on the floor
- Your toilet is overflowing
- Your sink is overflowing
- You’re having trouble showering or doing laundry
- You’re using more water than usual
- Your hot-water heater isn’t heating properly
- You’re getting significantly less hot water than usual
Conclusion
A leaking water heater can be a major problem for your home. If you’re having problems with a leaky water heater, it’s important to make sure you know the signs, how to fix the problem, and what to do if the problem persists.