Electric Water Heater Leaking From Top

So your water heater is leaking from the top.

Electric water heater leaking from top.

Well first off relax. A water heater leaking from the top is preferable to one from the bottom. However if not fixed promptly these types of leaks can lead to serious and costly damage as water travels down the exterior of your water heater. Temperature and pressure release valve drain valve if the temperature and pressure t p release valve or the drain valve is leaking then these are projects that a diy homeowner could attempt to do on their own as long as they follow all of the proper steps.

But only if you find and fix the leak quickly so what s causing your water heater to leak water. Use a wrench to remove the nut connecting the existing nipples with the water hose. If you have an electric water heater turn off the breaker switch in your home s circuit box. The cost to fix an electric water heater that is leaking can vary depending on where the leak is coming from and who is doing the repair.

Many water heater tanks have their temperature and pressure relieve valve positioned on the side of the tank. It s on the cold water pipe which supplies water to the water heater. Leaks from the top of the water heater are usually caused by one of the three connections at the top as shown in the diagram below. Once you ve shut off the water supply to the water heater drain water from the pressure relief valve.

1 connection that generates hot water 2. A leak at the top of your water heater is typically a much easier and cheaper fix than a leak at the bottom of your tank. But if you are a person with some sort of a plumbing background when it comes to a pressure relief valve leaking issue of an electric water heater it s considered as an easy fix most of the time the reason for mentioning most of the time is because if it starts leaking again after fixing then it actually is a headache for even the so called the experience plumbers out there. The water heater nipples on top of the water heater which connect the water heater to the cold water inlet pipe and to the hot water exit pipe is another common place to find leaks.

These are the two protrusions that are connected to metal hoses on top of the heater. Find the cold water inlet valve. On the other hand water runs downhill so failure to fix the leak can lead to more serious problems including electrical shorts additional damage to the water heater and the possibility of water damage such as ruined carpeting or drywall. However some models have these valves located on the very top of the machine.

The threads are the thinnest part on the nipple and it is not unusual to find leaks in them. Use a towel to dry around the tubes.