If it's 10+ years old and gas, it's at the typical point where failure can be expected. Electric ones tend to last 5 to 10 year longer. In any case, if it's not leaking from a fitting at the top or a drain connection at the bottom, she's done for.
Just had the water heater corroded union fixed, and now noticed the bottom is leaking. I don't think it's related however. The water is leaking about one drop every 30 seconds or so, very slow. It is a tall boy Bradford White HydroJet and it's sitting on a concrete pad. I tried to see but there is no way to tell where it is leaking unless I turn the heater sideways which I can't. Does this mean this heater is done? should I even attempt a repair?
MC
It's electric.
I just remember something. A while back I also had power off for some other service and found a puddle of water near the heater the next day. I thought it was a roof leak and went up to the attic but saw nothing. I mopped it up and it did not come back again, and has always been a mystery to me.
Now this morning I had power off for two hours to fix the heater, and this happened.
Is there any reason the heater will leak only after power to it has been cut off? It's too much water to be condensation however.
MC
Is it possible that some water spillled into the tank (fiberglass) insulation, waterlogging it while the nipple was being replaced ?
I have seen this happen, and it can drip for a few days.
Double check the nipple you replaced to see if any water is coming from there, and check any others too.
Just a bit of moving of the pipes, and the other may have been just as rusty
I don't see a mention of this being electric or gas, but as you can't see the bottom you must not have a burner access hole But if electric, pull the covers off both elements and make sure the leak is not from there either
Also the anode (can be more than one). and the draincock. and the high temp/pressure release
Always best to look for leaks when the tank is cold. (reasons below)
Or it could just be the tank is done.
Small pinhole leaks can evaporate into the air long before they drip to the floor from the heat in the tank.
Shut off the tank, and it doesn't have quite enough heat to evaporate, then drips out the bottom
If it's a pinhole in the tank, don't waste your time trying to repair it, just get a new tank
If you are short of funds, you could leave it for a while it's very unlikely that it would suddenly burst.
But the sooner you replace it the better it would be.
AMUN
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