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What To Do When Your Hot Water Heater Leaks?

Tasked with supplying you with the hot water you need to enjoy a warm shower, clean dishes, and do your laundry, your home’s water heater is crucial when it comes to enjoying the modern-day comforts of your home. Like all appliances within your home, however, your water heater will at some point encounter issues that may require professional water heater repair and services.

You Notice Your Water Heater is Leaking, So What Now?

When you notice that you have water underneath or around your home’s water heater, your first reaction may be to panic. So what now? Before you start running around your home in a panic, take a breath and let the professionals at T.E. Spall & Son help walk you through what to do when you notice that your home’s water heater is leaking.

Turn Off Your Water & Power Supply

The first thing to do is locate your water heater’s water supply and power supply and shut them off. This will help reduce the leakage and allow you to safely proceed with assessing your situation. 

You should always keep safety first, and ensure that both power and the water supply are completely off before dabbling with any part of your water heater.

Identify Where The Leak is Coming From

Next, try to identify where the leak is coming from. With most water heaters, there are specific locations where leaks happen more frequently than others. Some of these places include locations on your water heater such as:

  • Cold and hot water connections
  • Loose gaskets
  • Damaged drain valve
  • Corrosion on the tank

Assess The Leak and Determine A Fix

Once you’ve identified the location of the leak and the severity of it, determine if it’s fixable at home. Things such as loose connections can oftentimes be tightened by yourself with a pipe wrench allowing for a quick and easy solution to your leak.

If you notice excessive corrosion on your tank or the fix is beyond your ability or what you are comfortable with doing, call your local professionals to assist you. Often water heater leaks can be fixed fast with little to no effort. Knowing this, it’s easy to keep your cool and not panic when you notice your home’s water heater leaking.

Can You Use Your Water Heater When It’s Leaking?

Just because your home’s water heater is leaking doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t continue to use it. Most often a leaking water heater isn’t considered an emergency and can be safely used until fixed. While you may not have as much hot water as you’re used to, it’s ok to use your water heater while it’s suffering from a minor leak with no major issues.

When Should You Call the Professionals?

If you notice excessive corrosion on your home’s water heater or don’t feel comfortable working on it yourself, call your local professionals. If you hear clunking noises, experience gas leaks, or large amounts of water damage caused by the leak, it’s also a good time to call in the professionals who can help get your home’s water heater fixed right.

If you need water heater repairs in Scranton & Wilkes-Barre, PA, contact us and call spall today at (570)230-8821 so that we can help get your water heater fixed in a flash!

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