How do I know if my water heater is leaking?
To find out if your Brookhaven water heater is leaking check around the bottom of the tank. Water can leak out of a rusty storage tank bottom, faulty drain valve, or failing temperature-pressure relief valve. Another possibility is that water can leak from the top of the water heater and run down. Either way, if you see water stains or pooling water around the base of your water heater storage tank it is leaking.
What to do if your Brookhaven water heater is leaking?
If you find your storage tank water heater leaking, turn off the water to the tank. Your storage-tank water heater probably has a dedicated shutoff valve on its inlet pipes. Look for a wheel-style knob that turns near your water heater. Turn the wheel clockwise as far as possible. This will turn off the water supply to your water heater. After you turn off the water, call a reputable local plumber like The Plumbers Guild.
How do I know if my pressure relief valve is bad?
Water should never be pouring out of the valve. If your water heater is clacking or emitting a high-pitched shrieking noise, it is typically the sound of steam trying to escape the tank. This noise is a sign that there is too much pressure inside the tank. There is a safety Temperature, and Pressure Relief Valve, also called a T&P relief valve. This valve opens and releases water to relieve excess pressure inside the water heater storage tank.
Why is my water heater leaking from the pressure relief valve?
A water heater temperature and pressure relief valve can leak for two reasons. Leaks happen when excessive temperature or pressure triggers the valve to open or the valve itself is faulty. In the first case, water comes out of the discharge pipe.
What does a water heater temperature and pressure relief valve do?
When your water heater works, cold water fills the storage tank and then heats the water. Hot water flows throughout your home through the hot water pipe or heats continuously in the storage tank. However, sometimes things go wrong. There are times that the temperature of the water within the tank is dangerously hot. In these cases, the temperature and pressure relief valve open. When the valve opens, it drains hot water from the tank, thereby triggering cold water to flow into the tank to decrease the temperature. The other time the temperature and pressure relief valve opens is when there is too much pressure within the tank. When water heats up, it expands. Usually, water heaters hold about 150 psi (pounds per square inch). When the tank’s water pressure exceeds that, the temperature and pressure relief valve will open to release pressure.
The danger begins when homeowners fail to test their temperature and pressure relief valve. A homeowner needs to test their temperature and pressure relief valve every six months to see if water can exit the tank through the valve. When there is abundant corrosion around the temperature and pressure relief valve, it will not work properly. Homeowners need to have a local plumber replace their temperature and pressure relief valve every five years to assure a definite exit for extra hot or pressurized water. When homeowners do not test and maintain their temperature and pressure relief valve, it can lead to Brookhaven water heater problems.
Why is water leaking from the bottom of my water heater?
Suppose you spot leaking from the bottom of your storage-tank water heater. If your water heater is over ten years old this is common. Without proper maintenance, tank water heaters of this age will accumulate years of sediment in the bottom of their tank. Eventually, the sediment build-up causes corrosive rust that deteriorates the tank. Leaking from the bottom of the water heater happens when rust eats through the tank.
How do you fix a water heater leaking from the bottom?
The most common reason Brookhaven water heaters leak from the bottom is a bad drain valve. When the drain valve wears out you will see water seeping from the valve near the bottom of the tank. The drain valve will leak when it is no longer watertight. These leaks worsen with time. Contact The Plumbers Guild for water heater repair. Our skilled plumbers will install a new drain valve for you.
Can leaking water heaters be repaired?
If the leak is from the drain valve, the repair is simple and inexpensive. You need a local plumber to replace the defective drain valve. However, when the leak is coming from the tank, you need a water heater replacement. Whether you need a water heater repair or a water heater replacement in Brookhaven, contact The Plumbers Guild.