Top Pipe connections
Water at the top of the tank usually comes from the hot or cold connections or the fittings above them. That is a repair: a connection is redone, not the heater.
Leaking water heater
Water heater leaking? What to do first, and what it means
Most leaks give you time, as long as you shut off the water and make the heater safe first. After that, where the water comes from tells you whether you are looking at a repair or a replacement.
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Do this first
Four moves before anything else
If you smell gas at any point, stop here: leave the house, and call the gas company or 911 from outside. Do not work light switches on the way out.
Close the cold-water valve
It sits on the cold supply pipe above the tank. Closing it stops more water going in, which turns a leak that keeps coming into one that runs out.
Make the heater safe
Gas: turn the dial on the gas control to OFF. Electric: switch off the water heater's breaker. Tankless: switch off its power and close its gas valve.
Protect what is nearby
Move boxes and anything electrical out of the water's path. Leave the drain valve alone for now: a tank that was just running holds scalding water.
Call and describe it
Tell us where the water is coming from and send a photo of the rating plate on the unit. That is usually enough to arrive with the right part.
Read the leak
Where the water comes from, and what it means
Side The relief valve or its pipe
The temperature and pressure relief valve opens when the tank sees too much of either. A drip here means the valve is worn, or it is doing its job because the pressure is too high, often from thermal expansion with no expansion tank. Both are repairs. Never cap or plug that pipe.
Bottom The drain valve
A drip from the small valve near the base is a worn or loose drain valve. That is a repair, and a common one on tanks that have been flushed over the years.
Under The tank itself
Water weeping from the tank body, a seam or the bottom means the steel has rusted through. A tank leak cannot be patched, and it gets worse rather than better. That heater needs replacing, and it is worth scheduling before it becomes a flood.
Tankless units leak too: at the water connections, at the relief valve, or inside the unit at the heat exchanger. A leak inside the cabinet needs a diagnosis, so switch it off and call. More on that on the tankless repair page.
Repair or replace
A leak from a fitting, the drain valve or the relief valve is a repair, and one booked visit often covers it because the van carries those parts. A leak from the tank body is a replacement. We will say which one it is plainly, and the written price comes before any work.
If it is a replacement, in Flagstaff and Coconino County that is permitted work: we pull the permit and meet the inspector. The permit page explains what the inspector checks, and the replacement page covers what the day looks like. If the heater is old enough that a leak was coming anyway, the lifespan guide covers the signs.
Common questions
Leaks, answered
Can a leaking water heater be fixed?
It depends on where the water comes from. Leaks at the pipe connections, the drain valve or the relief valve are repairs. A leak from the tank body is not: the steel has rusted through, and the heater has to be replaced.
Is a little water around a new water heater normal?
It can be. A tank freshly filled with cold water, or a gas heater running on a cold morning, can gather condensation that drips and stops once the water warms up. Water that keeps coming after the tank is hot is a leak. If you are not sure, dry the floor, wait a few hours and look again.
Why is the relief valve on my water heater leaking?
Either the valve is worn, or it is opening because the tank is seeing too much pressure or temperature. High pressure from thermal expansion is common where there is no expansion tank. If the valve is releasing hot water steadily, turn the heater off and call. Never cap or plug the relief pipe.
Can I keep using my water heater until the appointment?
A slow drip from a connection, with the floor staying dry, can usually wait for a booked visit if you keep an eye on it. Water pooling, water from the tank itself, or a relief valve releasing hot water means shut it down as described above and leave it off until we arrive.
Who pulls the permit if the heater needs replacing?
We do. In Flagstaff and Coconino County a water heater replacement is permitted and inspected work, and we treat the permit as part of the job. Outside Flagstaff we confirm the rule with the office that covers your address before we book.
Found the leak? Tell us where
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