Water Damage Guides · Water Damage Basics

What to Do If Your Water Heater Leaks

A leaking water heater is one of the more common water losses in a Louisiana home, and it is easy to underestimate. A small puddle at the base of the tank can look harmless, but a tank holds a large volume of water, and a leak that starts small can grow. A heater that is leaking at the base, rusting at the seams, or producing rusty water is telling you that something inside it has failed, and the water it releases will keep coming until the supply is stopped and the heater is dealt with.

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This guide covers what to do first: shutting the water off in general terms, keeping clear of electrical items in standing water, what a leak may point to, and when to call a professional. It applies to homes in Monroe and Alexandria as much as anywhere else in the state. The water damage restoration page explains what a professional visit generally covers once the water is stopped.

Shut the water off in general terms

The first step is to stop more water from reaching the heater. In general terms, that means closing the cold-water supply valve to the heater, which is usually on the pipe entering the top of the unit, and turning it clockwise until it stops. If you cannot find that valve, or if it will not turn, the main shut-off for the house will stop the flow instead. Do this only from a dry position. If the floor around the heater is covered in standing water, do not wade through it to reach a valve. Call for help instead.

For a gas heater, do not attempt to work on the gas supply or the burner yourself. If you smell gas, leave the property and call 911 first, then the gas utility. For an electric heater, do not touch the unit or its wiring while standing in water, and do not switch anything on or off in a wet area. If the breaker panel is dry and reachable from a dry place, you may switch off power to the heater, but if it is wet or requires crossing water, leave it alone. Safety comes before the heater.

Do not touch electrics in standing water

A leaking heater can put water in contact with electrical fittings, and that is the main danger in the first hour. Do not touch the heater itself, its power cord, or any outlet or switch that is wet. Do not mop up standing water while the heater is still powered, and do not use any electrical appliance, including a wet vacuum or a fan, in a room with standing water. Water and electricity do not mix, and the risk is not always visible: a floor that looks only damp can still carry a current from a submerged fitting.

If the water has spread beyond the heater area, keep everyone, including children and pets, out of the wet rooms until a professional has looked at the situation. Move belongings away from the water only if you can do so from dry ground. A leaking heater is a job for a professional, not a matter of mopping up and hoping. The water that has already soaked into the floor and the wall behind the heater needs to be found and dried properly, and that takes an inspection and moisture readings, not a towel.

What to Do If Your Water Heater Leaks — Louisiana water damage guide

What a leak may point to in general terms

A leak at the base of the tank often points to corrosion inside the tank itself, which in general terms means the tank has reached the end of its working life. A leak at a pipe connection may point to a failed fitting or a worn valve, which is a different matter. A leak from the pressure relief valve may point to pressure or temperature problems inside the unit. Rusty water from a hot tap, rumbling or popping sounds, and water that is only lukewarm are all signs that a heater is ageing, and they are worth noting even before a leak appears.

None of these signs on its own is a diagnosis. A heater that leaks at a fitting may be repairable, while a heater that leaks at the base usually is not, but that distinction is made by someone who can inspect the unit, not by guessing from the puddle. Note what you see: where the water is coming from, how much there is, whether the water is hot or cold, and whether the heater has been making unusual sounds. A clear description helps the professional decide what to bring and what to do first. The emergency water removal page describes the removal step that follows the inspection.

When to call

Call a professional as soon as you find a leak that you cannot stop, a leak at the base of the tank, water spreading across the floor, or any sign of electrical danger. A small drip from a fitting that you can stop by closing a valve can be a planned visit, but a leak that keeps coming, a tank that is visibly rusting, or a heater that has flooded a room is not a wait-and-see situation. Water from a heater soaks into flooring and walls quickly, and the longer it sits, the deeper it goes.

When you call, describe the heater in plain terms: its age if you know it, where the water is coming from, how far it has spread, and whether the water is hot. Ask what the visit covers and what you should do while you wait. For homes in Lake Charles and Shreveport, as elsewhere, the first steps are the same: stop the water if you safely can, keep clear of electrics, protect what you can reach from dry ground, and call for help. The heater can be replaced; a floor that has soaked for days is harder to put right.

Keeping records after a leak

After a water heater leak, keep a record of what happened, even if the leak seemed small. Note the date and the time you first saw the water, where it was coming from, how far it spread, and whether the water was hot or cold. Take photographs of the heater, the floor around it, and any damage to the wall behind it. Note whether the heater has been making unusual sounds, such as rumbling or popping, and whether the water from a hot tap has been rusty. A record kept from the first day is far more useful than a memory reconstructed weeks later.

Keep the record with your home papers, along with the age of the heater if you know it and any notes from previous work on it. The record is useful for the professional who comes to look at the heater, because it tells them what the heater has been doing, and it is useful for your insurer, because it shows when the damage happened and what was done about it. For homes in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, the emergency water removal page describes the removal step that follows an inspection, and the record is the part of the job that costs nothing and helps everyone.

Key Takeaways

The first step is to stop more water from reaching the heater.
A leaking heater can put water in contact with electrical fittings, and that is the main danger in the first hour.
A leak at the base of the tank often points to corrosion inside the tank itself, which in general terms means the tank has reached the end of its working life.
Call a professional as soon as you find a leak that you cannot stop, a leak at the base of the tank, water spreading across the floor, or any sign of electrical danger.
After a water heater leak, keep a record of what happened, even if the leak seemed small.

Questions About What to Do If Your Water Heater Leaks

What should I do first if my water heater is leaking?

Shut off the cold-water supply to the heater if you can do so safely from a dry place, or the main shut-off for the house if you cannot find the heater valve. Do not touch electrical items in standing water, move belongings away from the water if you can do so safely, and call a professional.

Is a leaking water heater dangerous?

It can be, mainly because of the combination of water and electricity. Do not touch the heater or any wet electrical fitting while standing in water. If you smell gas near a gas heater, leave the property and call 911 first, then the gas utility.

Can a leaking water heater be repaired?

It depends on where the leak is. A leak at a fitting or valve may be repairable, while a leak at the base of the tank often points to corrosion inside the tank. That distinction is made by inspection, not by guessing from the puddle, so a professional visit is the right next step.

What does rusty water from a hot tap mean?

In general terms, rusty water from a hot tap can point to corrosion inside the heater or its pipes. It is a sign that the heater is ageing and worth having looked at, even before a leak appears. Note when it started and whether it is getting worse.

Your Next Step

If this guide matches what you found at home, the next step is a visit — not a guess. Call and describe what you found, and the visit is arranged from what you describe. The Emergency Water Removal page explains what that service covers, and the water damage restoration page explains how the full sequence works when water has reached more than one room.

Do not enter flooded rooms while you wait, and if water is leaking, turn off the shut-off valve for that fixture where you can reach it safely from dry ground.

Keep the guides on this site bookmarked: the first guide, the signs guide, and the preparation guide cover the checks worth repeating — after moving in, and after bringing used fixtures home.

Water damage help is available across Louisiana. See water damage restoration in River Ridge, LA for one local example, or find your town on the service areas page.