Your water heater is important when it comes to having a clean, comfortable, and pleasant home or business. But any type of water heaters can malfunction, leak, and eventually cause damage. The minor leak from a water heater can turn into an excessive water damage problem when not addressed immediately.

If your water heater is leaking, it doesn’t mean you need to replace it. With a few helpful tips on how to handle a leaking water heater, you may be able to fix the problem and save some money. 

Find the Source of the Leak

In order to fix the leak, it is important to find where the leak is coming from. Fortunately, there are two areas to check; the drain valve or spigot and the water tank itself.

1. Leak from the drain valve and spigot 

The spigot is located at the bottom of the tank. The drain valve is responsible for draining the tank of water in order to remove sediment build-up from the water heater. If this is the location of the leak, make sure to tightly close the spigot. Occasionally, this handle may have bumped into something or not properly tightened. On the other hand, if the spigot continues to drip, it may need to be completely replaced. Replacement of the spigot is relatively cheap, which means the news is still not bad.   

2. Leak From the Tank Itself 

If the leak is not because of the drain valve and is coming out from the tank itself, it means the tank has been damaged. In most cases, the cause of the leak is the build-up of sediment within the tank. If sediment is not drained from the tank regularly, it causes the tank to corrode and eventually develop leaks. Unfortunately, there is no way to replace the lining alone. Thus, replacement of the entire water heater is needed.

Other Causes of a Leak from Your Water Heater

• Cold Water and Hot Water Connections – If the inlet and outlet connections are the causes of the leak, they are an easy fix. You may just tighten the connection with a pipe wrench or replace the damaged pipeline. 
• Too Much Water Pressure – When the tank builds up too much pressure inside, the excess pressure will cause the tank to crack and force the water to leak out. It usually happens when the temperature on the water heater is set too high.

What To Do To Prevent Further Damage

While waiting for a plumber to arrive either to fix or repair the problem, it is important to take immediate action to lessen the damage, save some money for the repairs and keep you and your family safe.  Here are important things to do to mitigate the damage;

1. Turn Off the Water Supply 

 If your water heater has started to leak, it is necessary to turn off the water supply. Look for the lever just above the water heater and pull the lever. This valve is dedicated to supplying water for the water heater alone, not to your entire parts of your home.

2. Turn Off The Power Supply 

 There are two types of water heater; electric water heater and gas water heater. Each one has visual or written instructions posted on its exterior explaining how to shut it off. If you are using an electric water heater, look for the circuit breaker, and flip it to “off”. On the other hand, if you are using a gas water heater, look for a shut-off valve located on the gas line proceeding to the tank. Then, turn it off.

3. Dry Off the Affected Area Immediately

If the leak has already caused damage to your property, such as sub-floorings and adjacent walls, use a shop-vac, dehumidifiers, and towels to remove excess water and quickly dry the affected area. Undetected water heater leak can slowly saturate building materials. Unaddressed moisture problems can lead to toxic mold growth. In the case of this, you may need to contact a water damage restoration professional.

Professional Water Damage Restoration

Taking the first few steps above after discovering a leaking water heater can be helpful in preventing or even avoiding water damage. But, if the leak has already damaged your property, and you need quality restoration service, you can trust Water Damage Murrieta. Our team are expert and skilled in dealing with all kinds of disaster and understand how water can quickly cause severe damage to your property. That is why we respond in the quickest way we can, assess the severity of the damage and create an action plan immediately. 

At Water Damage Murrieta, we only use state-of-the-art equipment from the most trusted brands and techniques that ensure proper and effective clean up procedures. Call us today to get started on your cleanup and restoration needs.