Water heater leaks are common, and various factors can account for these. These leaks may be from the top of the water heater or the bottom. Usually, these leaks are at the top because of the inlet and outlet pipes that supply cold and carry away hot water.
Pipes connecting the main water supply to the heater can either be flexible or tight. The fancy name of these flexible tubes is connectors, which perform the same function as all the other pipes except for a little better water flow by reducing vibrations. These water heater connectors leak because they fail way early than other components of the water heater.
It can either be the input supply for the cold water or the outgoing water connector for hot water. Water leaking from the top either because of connectors or valves is easy to manage compared to water leaking from the bottom of the connector, which represents some problem with the tank or the drain valve. But in this article, our focus will be on the leakage from the top because of the connector and how you can control this leak.
Inspecting Water Heater Connector
Sometimes, water leaks from the top of the water heater because of water heater connector leak drips down the heater and appears as if it is leaking from the bottom. To be sure about leakage from connectors, use a stepladder if needed to have a clear view and better assess the situation.
It is clear to see seeping water from these tubes, and you should remove insulation if there is any to be more certain about the leaks. In case, You are unable to see any leakage, use a paper towel and place it all over the connector. If the water heater connection leaking is there, this paper towel will become wet where water is seeping out.
Another way to confirm water heater connector leakage is to turn off the inlet valve for the cold water that is usually present on the pipe. No leakage shall be visible as the water supply has been shut down. Opening the valve will again result in the appearance of water on the outside of the connectors as water again starts to leak as soon it enters them.
Fixing Water Heater Connector Leak
Water leakage from tubes means these have expired and are no longer functional. The only fix for these tubes is to remove these and replace them with new ones. In case you opt not to replace them, it will create problems as water running down the tank may produce sparks.
It will not only damage the water heater tank but may also damage the building or any individual standing nearby if, by any chance, it bursts. Therefore it is better to replace these tubes before they cause further damage.
Electric Water Heater
For an electric heater, first of all, you need to turn it off either by turning off the button or shutting down the electric supply to the heater from the breaker. After that water supply needs to be turned off by closing the valve, usually located at the cold water supply pipe, you can make sure that the water supply is cut down by turning on faucets in the house that are connected to the heater. Ideally, there should be no water in these faucets as all the valves have been turned off.
Gas Water Heater
If you own a bit older heater that runs on gas supply instead of electricity, you need to turn off the gas supply to the heater. Just like the water supply, there should be a valve that controls the gas supply to the heater, and you should turn it off before doing anything else. Just after, you should turn off the water supply as we mentioned above.
After all this process, you need to get new connectors and attach them to the heater. If you doubt that you may be unable to connect these properly, it is better to hire a professional plumber so that these are appropriately attached and don’t leak in the future from the valves.