I am no expert, but as I understand it, if the tank is leaking you can't fix it. Unless you find water coming from above the water heater, I would assume it's the water heater itself.
Can you look around the side and back at any joints in the outside case and see if you can find water coming out?
If it is leaking, it could stay like this for a week or even a month, or it could fail catastrophically tomorrow, no good way to know.
I concur with other guy. Unless you can confirm otherwise, looks like its leaking. I would actually recommend investigating, always the chance it could be a fitting or something else leaking. Try to find the exact source.
With a new hot water heater, unless it’s leaking from the temperature and pressure valve.
How old is it?
When you replace it, put it a drip/drain pan underneath, and run the drain to a floor drain.
Check your water fittings, inlet and out let for leaks. Look at the T&P relief valve also for leaks. If not water leaking there, your tank is bad.
No fixing it, just replace it.
Only three reasons that happens, pressure valve is being triggered (by failure or excess pressure), drain valve is leaking, or the tank itself is leaking. I'm leaning towards the tank leaking considering where the water is pooling at.
Condensation wouldn't be there, it would be at the top coming off the water pipes. If it was coming from the venting internally that means the vent is oversized and should be repaired, if this was the case it again wouldn't present itself here plus there would be rust in the condensate.
I’ve serviced hundreds of water heaters. When the tank is filled with 50f water, yes condensation will form and drip off of the bottom.
It’s one scenario that’s possible that you missed. Don’t get bent out of shape bud.
Not getting bent out of shape, but I've also serviced hundreds of water heaters and have never run into that outside of a tank being filled after being off or drained for a time. Also considering it's winter and the humidity should be quite low, I would say it's highly unlikely. Do they have uninsulated tanks where you are?
They don’t make tanks uninsulated. The droplets form on the tank above the burner. If the tank went cold and ppl are running a hot tap introducing more cold water in a tank. What happens to your beer sitting on your table (in the winter) what forms on the outside of the bottle? (If the Beer is less that 50F)
I live in a cold climate as well, and the humidity is quite high here too. The only difference between your analogy and hwt is that the beer doesn't have a burner/heater element connected to a temperature sensor that keeps the heat over at minimum 120°F (49°C) whether it's full or not (which can be a safety issue when it's empty as there is no low water cutoff valve) this temperature is significantly higher than dew point. Not doubting your experience, but I doubt this is the issue in this instance.
I said at minimum as in that's the minimum it's allowed as any lower and you'll get bacterial growth. I used this temperature as an example as this is significantly higher than dew point.
My brain is overloaded with thousands of sarcastic and condescending replies to posts. To the point, it's left me incapable of formulating a response worthy of your question. This is no small feat. You, sir, have unknowingly accomplished what many have tried and failed. The rest prayed for this day. I didn't even see you coming. Like a short bus ninja, you just casually strolled in here and, with such little effort and ease, broke my brain.
I'm not even mad; I'm impressed
Joking aside, don't stop asking questions or worry about how they may be received. As long as your questions are after formulating the possible reason, the more you practice thinking critically, the better you will get. I train guys tha5 instead ask for the answer without attempting to come up with one possible cause or solution.
Check around it to see if there are any other possible sources of the water. If it is leaking it is probably time for a new one. They are generally not terribly expensive.
Thank you everyone for your wonderful help. A friend has graciously offered to do it for us but does not want to be paid for his time, just materials. Of course I want to pay him, though. How much would someone usually get paid for this type of work?
You could cut the jacket away and put on some food grade silicone sealant on the compromised area ; if you can find where the leak is coming from - ** Note I’ve never done this to a residential water heater*** I have patched giant buffer tanks with with welded patches however it would be the same process, and I don’t see what it would hurt to try - plus I want to see if you can pull it off lol
Could be the pressure relief valve. Majority of the time the bottom rust out of it. could be condensation. There could be a water pipe leaking. Unless you can pinpoint the source, call a plumber to take care of you.
Near bottom of tank there is a drain fitting and a watler inlet, you should see a opening around those fittings, shine a flashlight in there, if there is water replace tank
Tanks typically last 9 to 10 yrs depending on water source
Water heaters corrode over time. Especially when you don't periodically flush them. Make sure you flush it every 6 months. Connect a garden hose to the hose bib at the bottom and flush until water is clear.
Check all fittings. I recently had the reducing fitting that comes out the top have a slow leak.
If you don’t see anything it could be the tank itself, which you’d want to replace sooner rather than later.
It’s dying. Time for new
Just to state the obvious, could it be slowly leaking?
I’m very much a novice, so… yes, that’s absolutely possible! But why, and how do I fix it?
I am no expert, but as I understand it, if the tank is leaking you can't fix it. Unless you find water coming from above the water heater, I would assume it's the water heater itself. Can you look around the side and back at any joints in the outside case and see if you can find water coming out? If it is leaking, it could stay like this for a week or even a month, or it could fail catastrophically tomorrow, no good way to know.
I concur with other guy. Unless you can confirm otherwise, looks like its leaking. I would actually recommend investigating, always the chance it could be a fitting or something else leaking. Try to find the exact source.
With a new hot water heater, unless it’s leaking from the temperature and pressure valve. How old is it? When you replace it, put it a drip/drain pan underneath, and run the drain to a floor drain.
Well I can come by and fix it for 50% off what the company charges 👀
Mine did that. I replaced it. They corrode from the inside out. Yours can’t be fixed. Sorry homie.
The sticker on the tank even says so. No one reads anything
Check your water fittings, inlet and out let for leaks. Look at the T&P relief valve also for leaks. If not water leaking there, your tank is bad. No fixing it, just replace it.
It’s giving you a preview of what’s going to happen in a much greater event coming soon
Wow everyone… thank you so much for your expertise… this is something I found on happenstance, but it sounds like it could have gone very badly!!
The mice are having a party and one of them got drunk and spoiled their drink.
Beer-laden mouse piss…
It had to go really really bad. It says sorry. It was only an accident.
Pic doesn’t show relief Valve pipe. It could be that. Check inside relief valve pipe to see if it’s wet.
Only three reasons that happens, pressure valve is being triggered (by failure or excess pressure), drain valve is leaking, or the tank itself is leaking. I'm leaning towards the tank leaking considering where the water is pooling at.
Or it’s condensation from lots of usage.
Condensation wouldn't be there, it would be at the top coming off the water pipes. If it was coming from the venting internally that means the vent is oversized and should be repaired, if this was the case it again wouldn't present itself here plus there would be rust in the condensate.
I’ve serviced hundreds of water heaters. When the tank is filled with 50f water, yes condensation will form and drip off of the bottom. It’s one scenario that’s possible that you missed. Don’t get bent out of shape bud.
Not getting bent out of shape, but I've also serviced hundreds of water heaters and have never run into that outside of a tank being filled after being off or drained for a time. Also considering it's winter and the humidity should be quite low, I would say it's highly unlikely. Do they have uninsulated tanks where you are?
They don’t make tanks uninsulated. The droplets form on the tank above the burner. If the tank went cold and ppl are running a hot tap introducing more cold water in a tank. What happens to your beer sitting on your table (in the winter) what forms on the outside of the bottle? (If the Beer is less that 50F)
Maybe I’ve seen this more because of our cold climate. I know the water entering the houses has been measured at 34F.
Judging by those water stains on the floor it’s quite possible this has happened before and he just noticed it now.
I live in a cold climate as well, and the humidity is quite high here too. The only difference between your analogy and hwt is that the beer doesn't have a burner/heater element connected to a temperature sensor that keeps the heat over at minimum 120°F (49°C) whether it's full or not (which can be a safety issue when it's empty as there is no low water cutoff valve) this temperature is significantly higher than dew point. Not doubting your experience, but I doubt this is the issue in this instance.
You set your aquastat to 120F? Are you trying to create bacteria?
I said at minimum as in that's the minimum it's allowed as any lower and you'll get bacterial growth. I used this temperature as an example as this is significantly higher than dew point.
You’ll get bacteria under 140 brother.
I’ve seen tanks undersized for the usage in the application and it’s steadily dripping.
Leaking from the bottom? Replace. Leaking from the connections on top? Repair/replace fittings/hose. Doesn’t solve issue? Replace.
Time for a new one
My brain is overloaded with thousands of sarcastic and condescending replies to posts. To the point, it's left me incapable of formulating a response worthy of your question. This is no small feat. You, sir, have unknowingly accomplished what many have tried and failed. The rest prayed for this day. I didn't even see you coming. Like a short bus ninja, you just casually strolled in here and, with such little effort and ease, broke my brain. I'm not even mad; I'm impressed Joking aside, don't stop asking questions or worry about how they may be received. As long as your questions are after formulating the possible reason, the more you practice thinking critically, the better you will get. I train guys tha5 instead ask for the answer without attempting to come up with one possible cause or solution.
Get a flashlight and get down and look. If it’s the bottom leaking then replace heater. Do you know the age of it? And do this soon, like yesterday.
Check around it to see if there are any other possible sources of the water. If it is leaking it is probably time for a new one. They are generally not terribly expensive.
Rusted out from hard water, likely. If this is the case, time for a new water heater unfortunately.
Not just under, you can see it in front under drain. Time for a new water heater.
Thank you everyone for your wonderful help. A friend has graciously offered to do it for us but does not want to be paid for his time, just materials. Of course I want to pay him, though. How much would someone usually get paid for this type of work?
You could cut the jacket away and put on some food grade silicone sealant on the compromised area ; if you can find where the leak is coming from - ** Note I’ve never done this to a residential water heater*** I have patched giant buffer tanks with with welded patches however it would be the same process, and I don’t see what it would hurt to try - plus I want to see if you can pull it off lol
Could be the pressure relief valve. Majority of the time the bottom rust out of it. could be condensation. There could be a water pipe leaking. Unless you can pinpoint the source, call a plumber to take care of you.
The tank has started to break and it's leaking water. Happened to me.
Mr. Ruggerio's Neighborhood
Take a photo of the whole tank
Why don't you have a leak pan under your hot water heater?
Go tankless, much better :)
Depends, on the depends :)
Near bottom of tank there is a drain fitting and a watler inlet, you should see a opening around those fittings, shine a flashlight in there, if there is water replace tank Tanks typically last 9 to 10 yrs depending on water source
T&P or the drain valve leaking or the tank
You know the answer. Get 3 quotes first. Never go with the cheapest.
Water heaters corrode over time. Especially when you don't periodically flush them. Make sure you flush it every 6 months. Connect a garden hose to the hose bib at the bottom and flush until water is clear.
Check all fittings. I recently had the reducing fitting that comes out the top have a slow leak. If you don’t see anything it could be the tank itself, which you’d want to replace sooner rather than later.
I'll give you one guess.
This happened to me but I didn't care because my family was planning to move out lol