Water in your water heater pan can be the first sign of a leak
A leaky drain valve is the biggest cause of a hot water leak.
Plumbers charge between $45 and $600 per hour depending on when you call and where you live.
Water heaters should be repaired by a qualified plumber.
Routine inspections and regular maintenance can help catch leaks as soon as they appear.
A water heater pan, also known as a water heater drain pan, sits underneath your water heater to collect water in the event of a small leak. Ideally, the pan should be dry, but if you find water in it, that means your water heater is leaking.
Why is your hot water leaking? Leaks can happen for several reasons. Sometimes the problem is serious and you may need to replace the entire unit, and other times, the leaks are totally fixable.
To diagnose the water heater problem on your own, arm yourself with a flashlight and a paper towel and keep an eye out for the following biggest causes of water leaks.
We highly recommend inspecting your water heater annually for signs of degradation. If you spot any potential warning signs, consider contacting a local plumber.
A water heater’s drain valve is threaded into the bottom side of the tank and flushes out any sediment that collects inside.
If you find water in your water heater pan, a leaky drain valve is likely the culprit. Check the valve’s outlet with a paper towel to see if this is where your water is coming from.
Try tightening the valve by hand if the leak is coming from the drain valve nozzle, as the valve might not be completely closed. If the valve still drips water after tightening, you’ll need to replace it.
If the leak isn’t coming from your drain valve, look at the tank itself next. A leaky internal tank causes water to slowly seep out and pool at the bottom of the tank and water heater pan.
The tank incurs damage when sediment builds up inside, causing it to crack. Flushing and draining your hot water heater on a regular basis to flush out sediment prevents this issue. On average, flushing a water heater costs between $75 and $200, though it’s possible to DIY.
Here’s how to flush a tankless water heater on your own.
If it’s too late and the water heater is already damaged, the best course of action is to contact a local professional plumber to determine whether or not you’ll need to purchase a whole new tank.
The temperature-pressure relief valve automatically opens to discharge hot water in case the tank reaches an extremely hot temperature or high pressure. Typically, this is a brass valve mounted near the top of a hot water tank with a pipe coming down to about 6 inches off the ground.
Wipe a paper towel on the bottom of the downtube. If it’s wet, this is the source of your leak. In most cases, you’ll need to completely replace this valve.
If you’re finding water in your water heater pan, a leak due to deep internal corrosion is the worst-case scenario. This may only be a small leak at first, but it will gradually get worse and, occasionally, it causes a blowout that leaves your utility room a sopping mess.
Unfortunately, there aren’t many early warning signs that your water heater is about to fail because tanks rust from the inside out. That said, some possible signs to look out for are corrosion around the base of the tank or a rusty wet stain on the ground underneath. You’ll need to completely replace your water heater tank if it’s internally corroded.
Condensate from combustion water vapor can run down your water heater duct into the flue through the center of a gas-fired heater and drip down into the center of the firing chamber.
Eventually, the bottom of the fire chamber can rust through and allow water to drip into the water heater pan.
Watch for drips from the duct and listen for a sizzle as it drips into the firebox. If this has been happening continuously for a long period of time, you will see large piles of rust around the firebox.
Call a professional plumber to diagnose the problem and determine your next steps.
If you can’t find a leak coming from any of the parts on your water heater, it could be a leaky pipe or valve located above the water heater. A lime buildup commonly causes these leaks that start as dampness and escalate to trickles over a few weeks.
You can check by wiping around the top of the tank with paper towels and looking for wetness, or you can hire a plumber to investigate.
Even if you intend to hire a plumber to handle even the smallest issue with your water heater, you’ll need to take a few immediate steps yourself if you notice your water heater pan is full of water or any other signs your water heater is leaking. Here’s what to do:
Shut off the electric and gas supply. If you have an electric water heater, turn off the power source via the electrical panel rather than trying to unplug the unit itself. Water and electricity are a dangerous combination, so it’s much safer to flip the breaker than cut off power at the unit. If it’s a gas water heater, turn off the gas supply via the shut-off valve.
Turn off the water supply. After you’ve turned off the power supply, you’ll also want to shut off the water supply to your water heater to minimize continued leaking. We recommend turning off the cold water supply to your water heater or simply turning off your home’s water supply entirely.
Inspect the water heater. Now that you’ve made the area safe, you can inspect the water heater to try to diagnose the source of the leak. If you’re unable to—or this isn’t your area of expertise—now is a good time to call a plumber to inspect the water heater unit. If it’s a night, weekend, or holiday but you need hot water urgently, you’ll have to call in an emergency plumber. Brace yourself: Emergency plumbers cost more.
Clean up the water. While you wait for the plumber to arrive, start mopping up any water from the leak. Doing so can help you avoid costly water damage restoration—or at the very least, prevent mold and mildew growth.
Schedule a repair or replacement. After assessing the water heater yourself (or bringing in a plumber to look at it), you’ll need to decide whether to repair or replace it. Either way, we highly recommend working with a professional who has been trained to handle this kind of project.
Your home's water heater needs to be routinely monitored and maintained. Like all major home appliances and systems, water heaters perform better when they're being properly cared for on a routine basis. Proper maintenance can also prevent costly problems and flood risks down the road catching little issues before they escalate. Here's a checklist of seven essential tips for water heater maintenance.
Preventative maintenance on a water heater can greatly extend its life while keeping leaks from silently damaging your property and putting your home in danger. As a homeowner, you want to do a general inspection once every two to three months. Any signs of leaking or excess moisture should be addressed promptly.
You should also consider an annual inspection from a professional. To make things easy, you can book your furnace inspection and water heater inspection at the same time.
Many homeowners are unaware that it's necessary to flush a hot water heater once a year. Flushing helps to clean sediment buildup from the interior of the tank. Buildup can cause your water heater to be less efficient. It can even cause your water heater not to drain properly. Steps to flushing include:
Turning off water and power to the water heater.
Attaching a hose to the water heater.
Using the hose to drain the remaining water from the tank.
Cleaning the inside of the tank.
Refilling the tank.
Turning the water and power back on.
Always be sure to allow water that is sitting in your hot water tank to cool before you handle it. A water heater repair pro or HVAC expert can certainly take care of annual flushing for you. Bundling your annual inspection with flushing is a great way to ensure that your water heater is running as efficiently as possible.
The anode rod on your water heater should be replaced roughly every five years. An anode rod is a corrosive accessory that attracts sedative and corrosive elements to prevent them from gathering inside the tank. However, once the rod is worn out, corrosive materials can begin to get inside the tank.
If you have a tankless water heater, it has an intake filter that keeps debris out. This filter needs to be replaced about once a year. However, you may need to switch out your filter more frequently if your home uses more hot water than average. Always defer to your product manual to ensure that you're changing your filter frequently enough to keep it functioning effectively.
Your water heater's temperature-pressure relief (TPR) valve releases excess pressure that builds up within the water heater. This feature should be tested as part of your water heater's routine annual inspection. A functioning valve will start and stop water flow when its lever is activated accordingly. If the TPR valve lever doesn't release water when activated, this is a sign that the valve needs to be replaced. Significant leakage can also indicate a broken valve.
This tip is becoming more popular since people are looking for easy ways to reduce their energy bills. Insulating your hot water tank can help to increase its efficiency by preventing heat from escaping. As a result, your water heater won't have to work as hard to get water to the right temperature. This can also increase the water heater's life span by reducing strain.
This last tip can help you spend less on hot water while also making life safer in a home with young children. Water heaters generally perform best when set to 120 degrees or lower. However, many homes have water heaters set to temperatures between 130 and 140 degrees. In addition to reducing efficiency, these high temperatures could result in scalding and burning. Consider adjusting your water heater's temperature if it's currently on the higher side of average.
Fixing a water heater yourself can feel intimidating—and for good reason. Water heaters use complex plumbing and heating systems that make reparation work difficult. If you attempt to DIY fix a water heater, you could mess up one or both of these systems, leading to costly reparation work.
Water heaters can also be dangerous to handle. After all, water and electricity don’t mix, and anyone who doesn’t specialize in water heater repairs could be putting themselves in harm's way. For these reasons, we do not recommend fixing a water heater yourself. Instead, contact a local water heater repair professional for help with a leaking or damaged water heater.
The average emergency plumber cost is $170, with most pros charging between $60 and $600 per hour depending on when you call and the scope of the damage. If shutting off the water valve to your water heater stops the leak, and you’re comfortable waiting for regular business hours, you can always try contacting local plumbers to get the earliest appointment without paying extra for emergency services. Typical plumber costs range from $45 to $200 an hour.
In some cases, a simple, affordable repair may be all that is needed to stop the leak and get your water heater running again. In other cases, more significant (and more expensive) repairs may be required. At a certain point, it may make more sense to replace your water heater instead of repairing it. The biggest signs that you need a new water heater include:
Rusty sink water
Metallic-smelling water
Noisy sounds from your water heater
Cold or lukewarm water
Pooling water around the water heater
Frequent repairs
It’s over 15 years old
In general, water heaters last 8 to 12 years, though tankless water heaters can last as long as 20 years. Our rule of thumb is that if your water heater is 10 years or older and/or has exhibited significant issues over the year, it’s a wiser investment to replace it instead of repairing it.
On average, the cost to repair a water heater is $600, while the cost to replace a water heater runs anywhere from $875 to $1,800. If you aren’t sure which route to go, consult with a professional plumber to determine the best course of action.
Yes, we recommend you turn off the unit, the power, and the water supply as soon as you notice a leak. Your water heater tank should have a dedicated shut-off valve located on the cold inlet pipes. If the valve is broken or inoperable, use the shut-off valve to your home's main water supply to stop the flow to the entire house.
Avoid touching valves or pipes directly without confirming if they are hot. Wear gloves and other safety gear to keep from coming into contact with hot levers or components when turning off your leaking water heater.
The average hot water heater will last 8 to 12 years. Leaky water heaters should be repaired or replaced promptly. A leak that seems small at first can quickly create ankle-deep water in your home. In rare cases, malfunctioning water heaters can explode due to built-up water pressure that isn't being properly released.
Yes, if a water heater leak is left untreated, your water heater could potentially lose all hot water. If this happens, you are likely facing even more serious issues as well, like flooding, fire risk, or a permanently damaged water heater. If you detect a leak in your water heater, you should call a professional to fix it ASAP.
