We have been seeing a lot of water damage from water heaters leaking or even bursting lately. Preventing water damage from your water heater is crucial for protecting your home. These are some steps we all should be taking to protect our homes.
Regular maintenance is key so let’s start there. Sediment from minerals in the water can build up at the bottom of the tank. This sediment insulates the water from the burner, making it run hotter and longer, which will eventually lead to deterioration and leaks. Flushing your tank annually helps remove this sediment. You can usually do this yourself by turning off the water and power, attaching a garden hose to the drain valve, and letting the water run until you see that it is clear.
There is a rod in your tank called an anode rod. This rod is a long metal rod wrapped around a steel wire core that is suspended in your water heater tank. It is made of a metal that is more reactive than the steel tank so it will corrode over time while keeping the steel tank intact. It should be checked every 2 to 5 years while still under warranty and annually when the warranty expires. If it is corroded, replace it. Failing to maintain this rod will leave your tank exposed to rust.
There is a relief valve on your water heater that releases pressure on the tank if it gets too hot or the pressure is too high. This valve is called the temperature and pressure relief valve (or the T&P relief valve). It should be checked annually by lifting the lever until you see water being released. The water is hot enough to scald human skin so pay attention and be careful while doing this task. If water is not released, the valve needs to be replaced.
As with any plumbing-related fixture in your home, check the pipes, fittings, and valves for signs of leakage such as dripping, “sweating” or metal corrosion. Repair any leaks promptly. While you are inspecting the pipes, check the temperature setting on the water heater. High temperatures (above 120-135 degrees Fahrenheit) increase pressure in the tank, contributing to leaks and bursts. Setting it lower also saves energy.
Even with your own maintenance keeping your water heater happy, it is wise to have a professional plumber inspect your water heater at least once a year. They can identify potential issues you might miss and perform more in-depth maintenance. By catching issues earlier and performing more thorough maintenance, you can extend the life of your water heater AND make it less prone to leaking or bursting in your home.
Beyond recommended maintenance, there are proactive measures you can take to help prevent, or at least reduce, water damage from a water heater. Start by placing a shallow pan, also known as a drip pan, under your water heater. This won't prevent a leak, but it will contain water if a leak occurs, directing it to a drain if connected properly. This is something that can easily be monitored so you can address leaks before any damage to the home can occur. Water leak detectors and water shut off valves are very good investments for most plumbing appliances and fixtures but definitely should be considered for water heaters. These devices sense water on the floor and can either sound an alarm or, in more advanced systems, automatically shut off the water supply to either the water heater or to your entire home, preventing extensive damage. Insulate your water heater’s supply and drain lines. This protects them from freezing in the winter, from heat loss year-round and from condensation accumulation that could be mistaken for a leak.
A final but key preventive measure to keep in mind is monitoring the age of your water heater. Hot water heaters typically are good for 8-12 years if they are maintained properly. Even with the best care, they will wear out and develop some corrosion making them prone to leaks or bursting. As your unit approaches old age keep an eye out for signs of rust, requiring frequent repairs, unusual noises, or inability to get the water hot enough. When you start seeing these signs, it is better to replace the water heater before anything worse can happen.
When a leak or burst does occur, time becomes a major factor in how much damage the water can do. It is crucial to know where and how to cut off the water either at the water heater itself or else to the whole home so it can be done quickly to stop the flow of water. Locate the cold-water supply valve on the inlet pipe of the water heater. It is also important to know where the cutoff valves are for water coming into the home. There is one where the water enters the home and one out by the street. You should know where both are located and how to turn these valves off and back on before any accidents happen. For water heaters, you should also know how to turn off the power using the gas shut-off valve for gas heaters or using the circuit breaker for electric heaters.
By following these tips, you can significantly reduce the risk of water damage from your water heater and prolong its lifespan. Even so, accidents happen. Sometimes water heaters give out before they can be replaced. If you do experience a leak or burst, there are steps you can take to help mitigate the water damage.
The very first step is to shut off the water! Locate the cold-water inlet valve that is usually on the pipe going into the top of your water heater, which is the cold-water supply line. You should already know where this is if you have learned where the water cut-offs are as part of your proactive measures noted previously in this article. Turn the valve until it's completely closed. If you can't find it or it's stuck, shut off the main water supply to your entire house. This is typically found near your water meter outside and where the main water line enters your home. Again, if you followed the proactive measures, you will know this location before an emergency! Then turn off the power to the heater, whether electric or gas.
Once the water and power are cut off, you still must contain the water. Water heaters can hold a LOT of water if you do not have the tankless model, so leaks and bursts can put a lot of water on your floors and walls that will then spread everywhere if not contained. Use buckets, towels, and mops to collect as much standing water as possible. If you have a shop vac, also known as a wet vac, use it to extract water from floors and carpets as much as possible. If you have a water heater burst, use towels, old blankets, or even plastic sheeting to create dams and direct the water towards a drain or an area where it can be contained. Once the water and power are off, you can attach a garden hose to the drain valve at the bottom of the water heater. Run the hose to a floor drain, utility sink, or outside. If you cannot get to any of these options, put the end of the hose in a bucket to catch the water and haul it to somewhere that you can dump the water. Open the drain valve and a hot water faucet somewhere in your house, to allow air into the line, to help the tank drain faster. Be very careful, as the water will still be hot. Draining into a bucket will require turning the drain valve on and off as the bucket will need to be emptied several times to fully drain the tank. If you do not drain this water, it will continue to leak from the water heater until the unit drains on its own. By draining it yourself, the water is directed outside or down a drain instead of onto your floor.
Once the immediate emergency is contained, contact a qualified plumber immediately. The plumber will assess the cause of the leak, determine if the water heater can be repaired or needs to be replaced, and handle the necessary plumbing work. If the water heater bursts, it needs to be replaced, and a qualified plumber can see if there is any damage that needs to be repaired before a new unit is installed. Since leaks can go unnoticed for a long time and bursts cause a lot of damage quickly, you may need to file an insurance claim to help clean up the damage, dry out the affected areas and repair your home. Notify your homeowner's insurance provider as soon as possible. They will guide you through the claims process. Be prepared to share any documentation such as photos, videos, and lists of damaged items. For significant leaks or bursts, especially if water has seeped into walls, flooring, or subflooring, calling ServiceMaster of Gwinnett or ServiceMaster 5 Points is highly recommended. We have specialized equipment including industrial dehumidifiers, air movers, air scrubbers and moisture meters to thoroughly dry out your home, prevent mold growth, and safely restore damaged areas. We can also often assist with the insurance claim process by providing documentation of the damage and work performed to your insurance adjuster directly instead of requiring you to collect this information yourself. We provide both the customer and the adjuster with regular updates. Since we are a preferred provider for most insurance carriers, we also operate under the protocols and guidelines set by industry standards and your insurance provider, which helps protect you from unexpected expenses due to services being performed that are not covered.
Once the water is contained and help is on the way, you can address damage control that is not as urgent as stopping the water but is still needed to limit the damage to the stuff in the affected areas of your home. Move furniture, rugs, electronics (only if safe to handle – do not touch electronics that are plugged in and sitting in water), and other valuables out of the wet area to prevent further damage. Lift wet items off the floor. Open windows and doors, weather permitting, to air out the affected areas. Use fans or industrial air movers, if you have access to them, to circulate air and speed up drying. Once ServiceMaster arrives to start the water damage restoration process, these fans will be changed out with industrial air movers that can use directed airflow to more effectively dry the heavily saturated areas to ensure all areas are dried. If you have access to a dehumidifier, use it to start removing moisture from the air and prevent mold growth. As with the air movers, ServiceMaster will place industrial dehumidifiers in the affected areas once they start the water damage restoration process. The longer the area stays wet, the higher the risk of mold growth, so placing one right away if you have it while waiting for ServiceMaster to arrive can help. While it seems counterintuitive, high heat can warp wood and other materials. Focus on airflow and dehumidification.
While ServiceMaster of Gwinnett and ServiceMaster 5 Points do document damage from any disaster restoration project we work on for insurance records, customer records and our records, we do recommend you also document any damage to be sure you have what you need for yourself. Take photos and videos of the water heater, the leak or the area that burst, and all affected areas and damaged items. This documentation will be essential for your insurance claim. Make a detailed list of everything that was damaged. While many customers do want to start throwing out unsalvageable items that were damaged as soon as they can, keep in mind that insurance carriers require documentation of the items before they will consider replacement. This means that either you or an approved contents restoration vendor must be able to document the specific items, the damage that occurred and whether it is possible to clean/salvage the items before they can be properly disposed of and reported to the insurance adjuster.
Once the loss has been properly addressed, implement the preventative maintenance steps discussed previously (regular flushing, anode rod inspection, T&P valve testing, drain pan installation, leak detectors). This will extend the life of your next water heater and potentially help you avoid another water damage loss from a water heater altogether.
Acting quickly and systematically can significantly reduce the extent of water damage and help you get your home back to normal faster. ServiceMaster of Gwinnett and ServiceMaster 5 Points are available 24 hours per day, EVERY day of the year because we know water damage does not take a weekend or holiday, and you can’t wait when the water heater leaks.
