It looks like the tank is finally going since it's wet underneath it. I'm guessing that because gas is involved I had best just pick one out at Sears or somewhere and have it installed? I'm ok at fixing stuff but I don't think I want to mess around with gas.
How long do I have if the floor was damp around it?
RIGHT NOW, a minor drip may turn into a major flood!
You better off upsizing to a larger higher BTU tank, so you dont run out of hot water. That was a major complaint around here till I upgraded from a 40 gallon 34K BTU unit to a 50 gallon 75K BTU unit. our new one now about 7 years old:( gives us nearly unlimited hot water. nice if theres houseguests.
do a little price shopping you will likely find home depot or lowes cost less, and buy a long warranty tank so you dont have this trouble anytime soon.
if you ask me sears is now the high price leader for most purchases: ( and they dropped the satisfaction guaranteed or your money back ............
Find the leak it could be at the top and just a bad pressure release valve, you dont say how old it is, turn the temp down and see if that helps, tanks go without warning prepare for it.
First, I'd identify where the water is coming from. Make sure there is no obvious source, like a leaking fitting, the T&P relief valve, or the drain valve. If it's coming from the tank failing, I'd say time is of the essence. It could continue to just leak slowly for a long time, or it could suddenly get much worse, with water gushing out.
While looking for a new one, I'd get one of the $10 alarms available at the home centers or hardware stores. They run on batteries and sit on the floor. You should have one anyway. You can set it at some point away from where the water is now, and at least you'll get an alarm if it gets worse. I'd also shut off the water to it whenever leaving the home for anything over maybe an hour.
What do you mean? How long for what? If its leaking you better replace pronto , you could have gallons of water spread out over your floors.
I have one, called a leak frog. But I guess I'd better start turning the water off when I leave. I just noticed it yesterday so I'm already lucky. It can be a week before I look in the basement.
I'd like to have enough time to look into a tankless one. Gas prices are going through the roof so maybe it pays to get one. But if I need to do it tomorrow then it's going to be the standard one.
Yep, I just called the plumber. Hopefully we'll look at it tonight.
Check the faucet to see if that is leaking. If your tank is over 10 years old, you should look into replacing it. Also, get an "appliance tray" underneath it with a pipe to the outside--when the new tank leaks it won't flood the floor. You may need a tank today unless you enjoy cold showers.
When I was a kid I liked cold showers but I seem to have outgrown that. I'll give it a good exam when I get home since I don't even know if it is 30 or 40 gal. I think 40.
I'll give it a close look and see if I can find where it's leaking. Not that it really matters too much, it's at least 13 years old and I've been wondering how much longer it would last.
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