I have a six year old electric water heater that works find and doesn't leak water on floor but two of the metal screws that hold the top to the sides are leaking enough water to leave rust trails down the side. I wipe the trail away and the next day it's back. Is this thing about to explode? TIA
=BF=BDIs this
its going bad, time to buy a new tank. turn off the water immediately if a big leak can damage things.
like in a finished basement
I doubt that it will explode, but unless Noah has an built ark in your house yesterday was the time to replace.
Unless you can positively identify the leak as a fitting that can be repaired, I'd start shoppin'.
nate
You know, there's actually not supposed to be any water behind those screws, until you get to the inside of the tank, which is 2 inches away, at least.
It's a tribute to the rest of the case that no water is coming out further down.
There's a leak somewhere, probably near the top**, that has filled the space at the top with water.
I suppose if you turn the water off, and turn off the fuse for the water heater (make sure you have the right one) and disconnect the wires, and unscrew the top, and drain and soak up all the water, and turn the wtaer on again, you might be able to find the leak, turn off the wter again, and patch it with something. Most people would find the leak and replace the water heater, I guess/
OR, any chance it is leaking at a pipe abvoe the top of the wh and running down into the wh, and then coming out the screws? Are either of the pipes wet?
**BEcause the middle 3 or 4 feet is packed pretty full with styroafoam, from the outside of the water tank to the inside of the sheet metal case/cover that you see on the outside.
=BF=BDIs this
a leak around any fitting that enters the tank is a sign of tank failure. sure you can fix it, but a new leak will just appear somewhere else.
water heaters arent worth screwing around with, espically if a leak can damage your home.
Maybe not. Check the fittings on top to make sure they aren't the source of your leak. Mine was installed originally with unions. They both started leaking after a few years and made quite a mess of rust/lime before I got the problem fixed.
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