Leaking hot water heater


  #1  
Old 03-16-17, 09:43 AM
T
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: USA
Posts: 1
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Leaking hot water heater

Hoping for some advice. Looks like my hot water heater is leaking, I am just looking for some guidance on how to proceed...should I just call someone in to help diagnose the issue? Or is there something I can do to determine what needs repair/replacement? Thanks in advance for any help.

Name:  wh1.jpg
Views: 1790
Size:  32.6 KB

Name:  wh2.jpg
Views: 6110
Size:  25.3 KB

Name:  wh3.jpg
Views: 3274
Size:  26.6 KB
 

Last edited by PJmax; 03-16-17 at 09:55 AM. Reason: reoriented, enhanced pictures
  #2  
Old 03-16-17, 10:02 AM
PJmax's Avatar
Group Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Jersey
Posts: 64,935
Received 3,950 Upvotes on 3,543 Posts
Welcome to the forums.

I'd agree......your water heater is leaking.
It looks like the leak my be at the top of the tank at the water inlet fitting.
It's hard to say if that's the only leak you have.

Do you know how old the water heater is..... it may be time for a replacement ?
 
  #3  
Old 10-19-18, 01:12 PM
jeff6146's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: United States
Posts: 9
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Top end leak (im pretty sure )

ok everyone, I'm new to this forum but not forums, im a member of about 15 different forums. I have an electric water heater and there is puddle in the garage in front of it. it is in a built in off the floor closet built with the house. the leak seems to be at the top end due to the window where the heating element is located has a puddle of water under the element. the bottom is dry as a bone. the pipes on the top had a little water in the devits where the pipes connect but after I cleaned them out with a rag and a screwdriver to get further than my hands could go its been an hour or two and they are still dry. none of the pipes from the house to the hot water heater are wet at all, they have dust on them is why I know they've not been disturbed. I also cleaned the top window out and made sure it was very dry. same time frame as descried about and now the window is full of water again. I don't see from looking all around the hot water heater where it could be leaking. any ideas? im going to try and upload pictures, I hope you all can see them. the model of the water heater is also in the pictures. Also, I had forgotten to mention was the element make some electric sounding noice, like electricity if you know what I mean. the file was too large to get it on here. Please please someone help.
 
Attached Images         

Last edited by jeff6146; 10-19-18 at 01:19 PM. Reason: more pictures
  #4  
Old 10-19-18, 06:17 PM
steve_gro's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 967
Upvotes: 0
Received 1 Upvote on 1 Post
Some manufacturers, including Rheem, make it easy to determine the age of the unit by incorporating the month and year built into the first 4 digits of the serial number. Yours starts with 0393 (March of 1993). It's 25 years old.
 
  #5  
Old 10-20-18, 03:52 AM
Norm201's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: United States
Posts: 10,956
Received 721 Upvotes on 640 Posts
Let's answer the OP's question 1st.
As PJ asked, let's find out how old the unit is.
Can you send us a picture of the label?
Try cleaning and drying the entire are including the top of the unit and the floor.
You can use paper towels or sprinkle flour at the connections to determine if in fact the leak is at the inlet or outlet.
I agree with PJ, if the unit is 7 years or older, prepare to buy a new unit.
 
  #6  
Old 10-20-18, 09:09 PM
steve_gro's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 967
Upvotes: 0
Received 1 Upvote on 1 Post
I didn't notice that there were two people posting with the same problem. The Rheem (posted by jeff6146) is 25 years old.

The OPs (rthisisricha) doesn't look much younger.
 
  #7  
Old 10-23-18, 11:37 PM
jeff6146's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: United States
Posts: 9
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
leaking from top of water heater

first off, I apologize for high jacking the OP's thread, I just figured it would help both of us at the same time. thank you for the date, I had figured it was 92. irreguardless, its freakin old. lol. just last night the water managed to make its way to the electrical panel, despite me trying to keep it from doing so. it was the top one. smelled something and got into the garage to see nothing and smelling electrical smoke. thank goodness it tripped the breaker before catching fire. So, we are having to take cold showers until we can get enough for a new one. we decided to go with a tankless since they are in the same price range now. and they have government rebates which helps. Does anyone know of any secret websites or a brick and mortar that has them super super cheap?

Thanks all,
jeff66146
 
  #8  
Old 10-24-18, 12:45 AM
jeff6146's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: United States
Posts: 9
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Hey does anyone know how to add a separate breaker for a tankless water heater? I have a 30 amp and those require (for the one were looking at) two 50 amp. I figure I can just replace the 30 with a 50 and then ill have to add another. any takers? lol. or a link would be good also, with my memory from getting blown up multiple times while deployed, I wouldn't have to keep bothering whomever give verbal know how. yall, I really appreciate yalls help for real.
 
  #9  
Old 10-24-18, 12:51 AM
S
Group Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: WI/MN
Posts: 19,125
Received 1,263 Upvotes on 1,204 Posts
You can't replace a 30 amp breaker with a 50 without upgrading the cable/wire as well.
 
  #10  
Old 10-24-18, 06:45 PM
PJmax's Avatar
Group Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Jersey
Posts: 64,935
Received 3,950 Upvotes on 3,543 Posts
and those require (for the one were looking at) two 50 amp.
This is even more involved.

You need two new 50A 240v circuits. You cannot increase the breaker size on a smaller wire. Your other problem is that a 100A load is a lot of power. You need to make sure your electrical service and panel can handle an additional load of that size. You need at least a 200A service.

OP started another thread on this same topic. No further need for this one.
New Thread
 
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
 
Ask a Question
Question Title:
Description:
Your question will be posted in: