Common Water Heater Leaks

Hot water heaters are ranked among the most critical plumbing appliances. These devices play a very important role in the home plumbing system. They supply all areas in the house with hot water including the kitchen and bathroom. Hot water is essential especially during the cold season. You need hot water to take shower or a bath in your bathtub. You also need hot water to wash your dishes in the dishwasher or even by hand. Hot water is also used to wash some clothes. And some of us like during hot water for health reasons or just for fun. As you can see, the hot water heater has very many functional advantages at home. But in order to enjoy all these benefits, you need to ensure that your hot water heater is always in tiptop condition. This means that you need to inspect your hot water heater regularly and implement all the necessary care and maintenance activities to ensure its functionality and enhance its durability. One of the most common water heater problems is leaking. Water heater leaks should be treated as plumbing emergencies because they are very serious. Here are some of the most common leaks that occur in Cincinnati water heaters.

Leaking Drain Valve

If you suspect that your water heater is leaking, the first thing that you should do is locate the source of the leak. Water heater leaks will not only waste your water, they will also waste energy because the device is leaking heated water. One of the most common water heater leaks occurs in the drain valve. The drain valve is used to drain the water heater mostly when flushing the unit as a maintenance activity. The drain valve can start leaking due to old age or physical damage. If the drain valve in your hot water heater is made of plastic, the plastic valve can become brittle over the years. If you use the worn-out drain valve to empty or drain the tank, the plastic can crack and start leaking. Another common cause of drain valve leaks is a failing gasket. Plastic drain valves come with rubber gaskets. The rubber gasket can deteriorate or wear out with age and this can cause leaking in your water heater. If the drain valve in your hot water heater is leaking, you can try to tighten it with a wrench. Do not over-tighten it because it can break off. The best remedy is to replace the whole drain valve with a new high quality one.

Leaking Temperature & Pressure Relief Valve

Hot water heaters have a temperature and pressure relief valve. It does exactly that. It relieves temperature and pressure from the device when they are too high. Your water heater can start leaking because of very high water pressure and/or temperature. The relief valve is designed to release water when the pressure is too high and/or the temperature rises above 210º F. Avoid setting the thermostat too high to prevent this type of leaking.

Leaking Tank

The hot water storage tank or reservoir in your water heater can start leaking due to physical damage, rust, old age, or sediment buildup. Hot water tanks can develop pinhole leaks at the bottom and start leaking. In most cases you have to replace the whole unit to solve this problem. Plumbing maintenance can help reduce the risk of this happening.