Hot Water Heater Leaks | Charlton, MA

7/8/2020 (Permalink)

Get to know your hot water heater and look for any unusual sounds, water pooling around, or rust colored water coming from your hot water faucets.

One day, you come home from work and your basement is full of water, and come to find out, your hot water heater failed. Unfortunately this is quite a common occurrence that we see here at SERVPRO of Southern Worcester County. When your hot water heater fails, usually too much pressure builds up in the tank, causing it to burst.

When you come home to inches of water in the basement, the first thing you should do is call us at (508) 234-3399, we’ll be there in no time to begin extracting the water and drying the area. Removing any building materials if necessary.

In the meantime, you should shut off the power to your hot water heater as well as the cold water shut off valve. Doing so might not stop the leak but it will slow down any amount of water leaking out.

Contacting a hot water heater repair specialist or a licensed plumber after your hot water heater fails will ensure proper repairs and can save you from future leaks.

Signs of a failing hot water heater

don’t wait for your tank to fail to realize that it can happen. Paying attention to your hot water heater can save you money in repairs.

Age of your water heater

It’s important to note the age of your water heater. You can find the age by finding the serial number. Some manufacturers serial numbers are going to look like a foreign language, so let’s break it down:

According to https://www.fastwaterheater.com/water-heaters/water-heater-model-numbers-rating-plates/ Bradford White Model Numbers are the most difficult to read. They have a “special code” if you will.

Serial Number Example: XE1658060

Their key goes as follows:

Year: G=1990, H=1991, J=1992, K=1993, L=1994, M=1995, N=1996, P=1997, S=1998, T=1999, W=2000, X=2001, Y=2002, Z=2003, A=2004, B=2005, C=2006, D=2007

Month: A=JAN, B=FEB, C=MARCH, D=APRIL, E=MAY, F=JUNE, G=JULY, H=AUGUST, J=SEPTEMBER, K=OCTOBER, L=NOVEMBER, M=DECEMBER

So the serial number given above would mean the tank was manufactured in May of 2001.

Other brand tanks are much easier to determine when they were manufactured. Typically in MMYY format.

Typically, your tank should be replaced every 10 years. You can wait until you notice some issues, but that is not recommended by professionals.

Is your hot water rust colored?

If your faucets/bathtubs are spitting out rusty colored hot water, this can be a sign that your hot water heater is rusty on the inside, and it could spring a leak any time soon.

You can test if it is just the pipes, or if it is really the tank. Drain a few buckets of water directly from the hot water heater, if the third bucket is still showing rust colored water, it is more than likely the tank and not the pipes.

Water pooling around the tank

If you notice any water around the tank, it could be sue to a crack in the tank. Before you replace your tank, be sure there are no other leaks from any pipes or connections.

If you’re concerned about a leak in your hot water heater, contact a plumber or your hot water tank service company right away. If you need any water cleanup/restoration, give us a call at (508) 234-3399, we’re here to help!!