It is an extreme nuisance to stumble into a water puddle inside your home, only to discover that it’s your water heater that is the main culprit behind it.
It’s one thing having to clean up the mess before it soaks into the floorboards; it’s another when you start considering how much it’ll cost to repair the water heater or replace it altogether.
When seeking out repair and maintenance of your water heater, it helps to be aware of what’s causing the problem so that you are better equipped to handle it yourself or call a maintenance specialist to solve the problem for you.
Let us look at some reasons that might be causing your water heater leakage, Brooklyn, NY NY.
What to do if Your Water Heater is Leaking
The first step you should follow is to verify whether your water heater is leaking or if it’s just water from condensation.
The following actions are a step-by-step guide on what you should do once you discover a puddle near the water heater in your home.
- Wipe the surface of the water heater; if it accumulates another coating of moisture, it can be chalked off as condensation.
- Check if your air conditioner or furnace is leaking and contributing to the puddle.
- Once you’ve established that the water heater is leaking, turn the power off so that you don’t accidentally electrocute yourself.
- Use the shutoff valve to cut the gas source if you have a gas heater.
- Cut off the cold water supply by checking if the pipelines are color-coded red (hot) and blue (cold).
- If the pipelines are not colored, feel for the temperature of the pipelines and determine which one is the cold outlet.
- Clean up the water heater and the puddle around it thoroughly so that you can pinpoint exactly where the water is leaking from the next day.
- If water accumulates at the top of the water heater, you should inspect the inlet and outlet pipelines for any damage contributing to the leakage.
- Try tightening the pipeline connections using a wrench and check if that solves the problem.
- If water leaks to the side or bottom of the water heater, there could be an issue with the temperature and pressure relief valve.
- In this case, the first thing to do is to check if the temperature is not too high, which can contribute to a pressure buildup and, therefore, cause leakage.
- If the temperature is fine, there is a problem with the valve itself, in which case you should hire a professional in your area to solve the water heater leakage in Brooklyn, NY NY.
Leakage Issues at The Bottom of The Water Heater
A drain valve exists at the bottom of the water heater to drain the water so it doesn’t accumulate.
If this is the source of the problem, you should tighten the connection if it is loose but do not use too much force since this could exacerbate the problem.
After troubleshooting, if the leakage continues, seek to replace the drain valve by either doing it yourself or hiring a professional.
Clean Up the Water Leakage Properly
An accumulation of water can be dangerous, especially if there are electrical sources nearby.
HVAC systems are usually found in the vicinity, and because water is a good conductor of electricity, you should be adamant in cleaning it up to prevent someone from getting electrocuted or the house catching fire.
Water damage to structures can also occur; wood can rot, and furniture may become tarnished.
Hiring a Professional
It’s also crucial to know when to step in yourself and leave it to an experienced professional.
Plumbers are the go-to option in this case. Vigilante Plumbing has a great plumbing service open during the pandemic and strictly follows standard operating procedures to make your experience an extremely positive one. Give us a call at (718) 530-0404 now!
The Bottom Line
It is important that you do the research and attempts to solve your water heater-related problems yourself first before consulting a professional to get the job done.
