Are you wondering what causes water heater to leak? Well, you are in the right place. We have listed some of the significant reasons below that cause the water heater to leak.
The water heater is widely used equipment, especially in homes. It is getting very difficult to survive without a water heater in cold weather because a water heater provides you with warm water for different purposes. When your water heater fails to provide an adequately warm temperature, it can be due to leakage.
But what causes your water heater to leak? The leak can occur at different parts of the water heater that have the potential to leak due to any unfavorable circumstances. Few of these leaks can be fixed easily, while others need professional help. Please continue reading to know more about the water heater and the causes of leakage.
What Causes Your Water Heater To Leak?
Many components in the water heater need regular cleaning and maintenance. If you don’t clean debris or maintain the condition of water hoses or valves, there are high chances that your water heater will leak, creating a mess on your floor, walls, etc. The following are the most common reasons for what causes water heater to leak.
#1. Loose drain valve
A drain valve helps clean the water heater when needed. It lets the water in the heater out, and you can thoroughly clean the insides of the heater, removing sediments. If you see water droplets leaking from the valve, it can be due to the improper or loose tightening of the valve; tight it. But, if the leakage doesn’t stop, you need to replace this drain valve with a newer one.
#2. Problematic temperature and pressure valve
If you have a water heater, you must be aware of the importance of temperature and pressure valves. The T&P valve helps in reducing the temperature of water in the tank and the pressure created by the water stream. When the water temperature gets above a certain limited value, the valve automatically drains water out of the tank. If you see the water trickling down the side of your heater, it means there is a problem with the T&P valve. Either the valve is broken or worn out. Try a new valve and check for any further leakages.
#3. Worn out hoses
A water heater has two primary hoses, the inlet and outlet hoses. The hose that carries cold water to the heater is known as the inlet hose, and the hose that provides warm water is called the outlet hose. When these hoses get old or worn out after some time, you can see clear leakages. These leakages affect the efficiency and working ability of a water heater. You can fix this issue by replacing the bad hoses with the new ones.
#4. Faulty internal tank
The water heater has two layers of shell protecting the water. The outer layer is made up of metals and acts as a shield or insulation for the internal tank. At the same time, the internal tank carries warm or heated water. If the inner tank gets damaged and causes malfunctioning of the water heater, it isn’t easy to detect the leaking point. In this case, you should get help from some professional technician to fix the damage.
#5. Sediments in tank
When you don’t clean your tank often, it builds sediments at the bottom of the tank. As time passes, these sediments cause cracks resulting in water leakage from different parts of the heater. Keeping the tank properly cleaned is necessary because a damaged tank cannot be fixed correctly and needs replacement with a new water heater. It may also be a good idea to read about what is sedimentation in water treatment.
Locations Of Water Leakages
To fix the leakage issue, it is obligatory to find out the location and possible cause of leakage. To help you understand different types of leakages correctly. I have discussed a few places in the water heater where leakages occur often.
- Bottom leaks: If the water is dripping from the bottom of the water heater, there is some issue with the valve, or there are cracks in the water tank. The valve can be replaced or fixed by tightening. However, if the problem is in the tank, nothing is really helpful, and you need to replace the whole water heater. This is expensive, but if you don’t get the heater replaced, it will soon mess up your floor.
- Top leaks: If the tank is leaking water from the top, it can be because of defective hoses or T&P valves. Because tank cracks can’t occur at the top as sediments get collected in the bottom. The issues with valves or hoses can be fixed easily or can be replaced, and you don’t need to replace the whole water heater.
- Unknown leaks: The leaks that occur without any visible cause are unknown. The cracks in the inner tank involve this kind of leakage, because you cannot check the location and cause of the defect.
It’s A Wrap!
When you see water trickling down your water heater, the first question is what causes water heater to leak. I hope this article proved helpful to you in this regard. You can easily fix or replace some minor problems in the water heater, but for difficult situations, you should hire someone. You can also look for how to repair a leaking water heater. Click on these links to read related articles; know what to do if your water heater leaks and why my water heater is not working.