Electric water heaters leak above the thermostat when cold water turns on
12 posts across 2 communities in the last 90 days; 92% from r/Plumbing.
“No idea where it’s coming from. Is water coming in from the exhaust vent outside? The insulation under the shell is wet at the top of the water heater.”
“Was checking on something in my utility closet today and noticed that my water heater has water pulling up around the cold water intake on top. It’s not a steady flow leaking out, and based on the watermarks on the tank it’s probably been happening for a while. Any idea what…”
“Hello all, I have noticed a leak from the top heating element area. I took off the cover and noticed its around the heating element. Would anyone be able to confirm if its the heating element, gasket, or if its the actual water heater leaking? I appreciate the help”
Users report electric water heaters leaking from the area around the upper thermostat and electrical compartment specifically when the cold water supply valve is opened. The leak stops when the cold water supply is shut off, suggesting a pressure or temperature-related issue within the unit itself. This often requires replacement of the entire heater.
SOURCES (14)
“No idea where it’s coming from. Is water coming in from the exhaust vent outside? The insulation under the shell is wet at the top of the water heater. submitted by /u/AspectExtension419 [link] [comments]”
“Was checking on something in my utility closet today and noticed that my water heater has water pulling up around the cold water intake on top. It’s not a steady flow leaking out, and based on the watermarks on the tank it’s probably been happening for a while. Any idea what would be causing this? submitted by /u/Reom_76 [link] [comments]”
“Hello all, I have noticed a leak from the top heating element area. I took off the cover and noticed its around the heating element. Would anyone be able to confirm if its the heating element, gasket, or if its the actual water heater leaking? I appreciate the help submitted by /u/jackshack88 [link] [comments]”
“Cold water inlet is busted and spraying water everywhere. I turned off the heater and closed the cold water valve. What else do I need to do (and have) before I replace the pipe? submitted by /u/iatethething [link] [comments]”
“Any help on how to go about this or any possible solutions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance. I live in California and this week temps are avg. 100 minimum and the thermostat is set to 71. Idk if that information helps. submitted by /u/RompeNalgas5 [link] [comments]”
“My water heater is leaking and I couldn’t figure out why, anyone have experience with this? The water is coming from the location between the black and the gray submitted by /u/Sandofle [link] [comments]”
“Water heater leaking, not sure where to put a valve to shutoff the cold water input because the pipes are a mess, can post more pictures if needed. https://preview.redd.it/0kpmwquaegih1.png?width=3060&format=png&auto=webp&s=432f6fa47ad9b90c596a95bc526f72fc06cab5f6 submitted by /u/ZoroLazzy [link] [comments]”
“Found the catch pan with sitting water and the breaker was tripped. I reset the breaker and it did not immediately trip but I found it leaking at the access panel. Any fixes or is a new water heater the only option? submitted by /u/Blue-maiz24 [link] [comments]”
“There’s a few things on the tank usually a pressure relief valve which dumps water in case the pressure ever fluctuates too much or the temperature exceeds a certain dangerous temp, a thermostat which is supposed to control the temperature you set it to, a thermopile which detects if the flame is on or not and shuts off the gas if it doesn’t detect a pilot flame before ignition Most of all you should have a carbon monoxide sensor near sleeping areas to make sure it’s safe If you’re feeling frisk”
“probably leaking mf, especially if the drip rate is consistent. I’d expect condensation would slow down after several minutes 😔”
“Normal operation. Once the tank gets up the temperature water should not be dripping under the burner assembly.”
“Condensation not a leak. Well most likely. If it’s still dripping after an hour it’s a leak”
“My electric water heater leaks above the upper thermostat/electrical compartment, but only when the cold water supply valve turn on.. The more I open the cold water faucet or shower, the heavier the leak gets (turned off hot water valve to the heater & cut off power). When I shut off the cold-water supply, the leak stops completely. The hot and cold water pipe connections, valves, and the top of the tank are all dry. The water appears to be coming from inside the unit, above the upper thermo”