What Causes the Bottom of My Water Heater to Leak?

A leaking water heater can be a minor issue you can resolve yourself, or may be an indication of a larger issue that may require heating in Hayward, CA to repair your unit.

It might be necessary to hire a professional in the surrounding area to fix your water heater. Below are some of the reasons your water heater may be leaking.

Why is the Bottom of the Water Heater Leaking?

Leak in the Internal Tank

A leak from the bottom of your water heater is usually caused by damage to the tank. There could be an internal or structural issue causing your hot water tank to leak and pool water at the bottom.

Failure to remove sediment from the hot water tank is the most common cause of a faulty tank. Hard water areas are particularly prone to this problem.

You must flush your tank every six months and remove sediment. You need to hire a professional heating installation in Hayward, CA, for this job.

Water heaters are less efficient if they aren’t maintained properly. Eventually, sediments can lead to corrosion and cracking of the tank shell, leading to a leak and pooling of water around the unit.

It is necessary to replace the water heater when the unit suffers internal damage.

A plumber can look at your hot water tank if you’re unsure if the problem is with the tank; you can avoid purchasing an entirely new heater if the problem is not with the tank.

Having a Leaky Drain Valve

A faulty drain or an open drain valve are common causes of water heaters leaking from the bottom. In addition to draining the tank, the drain valve helps drain sediment from the bottom of the water heater.

Leaking drain valves are not necessarily damaged. You might just need to close it completely. The drain valve handle may have become loose at some point, allowing some water to leak.

If the leak persists, the valve itself is faulty and must be replaced by a plumber. You should address the issue as soon as possible since it will only worsen over time.

Failure of the Pressure Relief Valve

The valve releases pressure whenever the water inside the tank is too hot or too high. There is a discharge tube that runs from the valve to the floor.

It is designed to direct any water leaking from valves toward the floor rather than spraying outwards.

Check the bottom of the discharge tube for moisture if a puddle of water appears at the bottom of your hot water tank.

In the case of water, the temperature and pressure relief valve is probably at fault. A faulty valve or too much pressure in the tank could be the problem.

Most temperature and pressure valve issues are resolved by replacing or calling a plumber to fix internal pressure issues.

Things You Should do If Your Water Heater Leaks from the Bottom

Turn off the Water Heater

If you have an electric water heater, locate the breaker on the electrical panel and flip it to the off position. Simply turn off the on or off switch or dial on a gas water heater.

Turn Off the Water Supply

The water heater’s top will have a lever or valve. You can cut off the water supply by closing the valve to the right.

Determine the Source of the Leak

Finding the leak’s cause and scheduling a technician’s service for repair is the most obvious thing to do.

Schedule a service call with Ackley Sheetmetal, the best of Hayward gas heater service providers, at (510) 760-9879.