Is a leaking water heater an emergency?
A drip from a fitting is urgent but manageable. A tank that is leaking from the body or a puddle that keeps growing is an emergency, because a weakened tank can let go all at once. Treat any leak you cannot trace to a fitting as the serious kind.
The first hour
Stay out of the water near anything electric
Electric heaters and nearby outlets come first.
Shut the cold supply
The valve on the cold line at the top of the tank. If it will not turn, shut the house main.
Shut the energy
Gas valve to off or pilot on a gas unit. The breaker on an electric unit, only from a dry spot.
Contain the water
Towels, a wet vac, and move boxes off the garage floor.
Photos
The tank label, the leak and every wet area, for your claim.
Call a plumber, then us
The plumber handles the heater. We dry the garage wall, the floor and anything the water reached. (702) 746-6703.
Where water heaters leak
| Where | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Top fittings and supply lines | Loose or failed connection, often repairable |
| Temperature and pressure relief valve | Valve opening or failing, a plumber should check pressure and temperature |
| Drain valve at the bottom | Worn valve, sometimes repairable |
| The tank body or bottom seam | Rusted through, the heater needs replacement |
Why valley water heaters wear out
The Las Vegas Valley Water District rates its water very hard, at 291 parts per million or 17 grains per gallon. That is calcium and magnesium from the Colorado River. It is not a health issue, but hard water leaves scale, and scale settles in the bottom of a tank. Age is the other factor. InterNACHI puts tank water heaters at about 6 to 12 years and tankless units around 10.
Can you still use water if the water heater is leaking?
Cold water, yes, if the heater's cold supply is shut and the house main is on. Hot water, no, until the heater is repaired or replaced. If you had to shut the house main, you have no water until it is back on.
The water damage most people miss
When a water heater sits in the garage against the wall the garage shares with the house, water runs along the slab, under the bottom plate and into the drywall on the house side, under carpet in a hallway or closet. A meter on that shared wall tells you whether the leak stayed in the garage. Closet installations do the same thing to hallway floors and the rooms next door.
Permits for replacement
In the City of Las Vegas a same for same water heater swap is one of the online permits that needs no plans. Henderson and Clark County have their own permit offices. Your plumber pulls it.
Insurance
Sudden discharge from a household appliance is a covered peril on most homeowners forms. The heater itself, as a worn out appliance, usually is not. The water damage it caused often is.