If Your Water Heater Springs a Leak, Follow These Steps to Prevent any Further Flooding or Damage

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You didn’t ask for your basement to turn into an indoor pool but it seems your water heater has sprung a leak and that is exactly what you have on your hands. If your water heater springs a leak and you aren’t sure what to do, follow these steps to help prevent any further flooding and damage to your Cincinnati home.  

  1. Turn off the power supply to the water heater. Water and electricity do not mix and you don’t want to cause any injuries while trying to keep your house from flooding. If you have an electric water heater, turn your power off at the breaker. If you have a gas water heater, you can turn off the gas at the dedicated gas shut off valve on the gas line leading to the tank.
  2. Try to determine the source of the water heater leak. This will help the plumber resolve the problem faster. If it is coming from the top and running down, it could be the pipes or the temperature and pressure valve, which can be fixed. If water is coming from the bottom of the unit, it is an internal problem and the system likely needs to be replaced because it’s become corroded and cracked from age.
  3. After determining the source of the water heater leak, shut off the water supply. Be careful when handling these pipes as they can be scalding hot.
  4. Call a plumber. Unless you are very handy and have a solid knowledge of your home’s plumbing and water heater, it is best to leave it to the professionals so it gets fixed or replaced properly and not cause any more damage in the long run.
  5. Your water heater technician will drain your tank when they begin work. However, if the water heater leak is bad enough and you are concerned about more damage to your home you may want to drain it immediately to prevent such damage. You can do this with an ordinary garden hose by screwing the hose onto the drain at the bottom of the tank then turning the drain valve to open. Make sure you drain the tank to a proper location such as a gutter drain or sink.
  6. Once a plumber is on the way, start soaking up the mess that escaped from your water heater leak.

Coming home to a pool of water is an extreme case and can become a reality if you do not move quickly to fix the problem as it will only worsen. The spreading water can cause damage to your flooring and move into your walls, causing mold and even costlier repairs, plus a health concern.

For more information about maintaining your water heater or fixing a leak, our team is ready 7 Days a week for emergency service. Reach out to Apollo Home today. We’ve been serving the Greater Cincinnati area since 1910!

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"We scheduled an estimate AND a tune-up. We knew something was wrong with our furnace, but hoped we could make it through the rest of the season. Upon telling Bill what our furnace was doing, he warned us immediately what the possible outcome was going to be; a cracked heat exchanger. He watched the flames roll backward, tested carbon monoxide levels, which were so high they meter’s last reading was 5,600 before saying “high”. He immediately shut it down, tagged it, and explained that with levels that high and children in our home he wanted off right away. He continued his inspection and showed us via a camera that not only was it cracked in multiple places, but had holes all over it. He gave us a few options for repairing it; his knowledge as well as genuine concern was beneficial and refreshing. Luckily we also scheduled an estimator, Micah, to come too and we were able to get costs between repairing and replacing (with several options). We decided to replace with a much higher efficiency furnace and one sized properly to our home. Hands down, not only did they both provide us great service and knowledge, but without sounding dramatic, they may have saved our lives. This was our first time calling Apollo, but it won’t be our last."
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