There will come a time when our hot water heater will become broken due to its old age, and even those that are newly-bought suffer from a few technical issues as well. In the case of a water heater, some people find their hot water heater leaking from the top. If you are having your hot water heater leaking from the top, calling a professional may be the best thing to do. But if you want to save money, it’s best to try to fix it yourself first.
How to Fix Hot Water Heater Leaking From Top Yourself
The first things that you should check are the connections found above the metal vessel. Three connections are located on top of your hot water heater. There is a blue one that functions to generate cold water, another generating hot water, and the last one for releasing pressure. What you should do is check which of these connections is leaking. Once you know where the problem lies, you will see that it doesn’t need a professional to fix the leak from your hot water heater.
The solution will vary depending on where the leak comes from. In case you’ve determined that the water leak is coming from the hot water or cold water inlet, you may want to try checking whether there’s a loose-fitting or rusted connection. If it’s the latter, more likely than not, your hot water heater may not be installed correctly. This is very easy to fix. All you need is a wrench so you could tighten the loose-fitting. However, when rust has built up on your copper pipe, you may have to call your local plumber. For water heaters that are newly installed and still have an existing warranty, calling the company to ask for their plumber would help save you on professional costs.
In the case that the leak occurs on the valve for releasing pressure, if you don’t fix it as soon as possible and continue to use your hot water heater, you will lose not only water but also electricity. Aside from these, you also risk corroding other sections of the entire equipment. This may require the help of a professional to fix the problem properly and prevent any further damage to your water heater.
A simple tip to avoid any further damage when your water heater is broken is to turn the cold water off, preventing water from leaking from the equipment. To do this, turn your intake valve, which is on the pipe connected above your water heater. There will be a drop in the pressure in your water heater, which will fix the leak if it comes from the top.
There will be cases when water will continue to leak. This will require you to drain water from your heater. To do this, shut off the water running into your heater. Then, turn off the breaker box or valve used for heating water. Find a fitting hose and connect it to the draining valve. The next thing to do is open the faucet that runs warm water and then release the water by turning the draining valve. Once completely drained, open your cold water supply so you could clear out the sediments. Repeat this until you could see clear water running from your heater.
Afterward, close the faucet for warm water and turn off the draining valve. Try to refill your tank by opening the water supply, which valve could be found on top. After you’ve successfully drained the water, you could now turn on the power for your water heater.