You’ve walked outside and there’s water around the hot water system.
Or perhaps you’ve opened the cupboard and discovered your hot water system has decided it would rather distribute water across the floor than through the taps.
Not ideal.
A hot water system leaking doesn’t always mean the whole unit is cactus, but it’s definitely not something you should ignore either.
A small amount of water from a relief valve can have a very different cause to water pouring from the tank, pipework or connections.
If you’ve got a substantial leak, can’t stop the water or it’s spreading through the property, skip the detective work and get professional help.
If water is escaping quickly or threatening your property, GA PERRY provides emergency hot water repairs across Perth.
Here’s how to work out what you’re dealing with and, more importantly, what to do before your hot water system attempts to install an unwanted swimming pool.
Hot Water System Leaking? First Check How Much Water Is Escaping
This matters.
A few drops of water and a rapidly growing puddle are two very different plumbing problems.
Have a look at the system without touching or dismantling anything.
Is it an occasional drip?
A steady leak?
Is water running from a pipe or connection?
Or is the unit doing its best impression of the Bellagio fountains?
If a large amount of water is escaping, the leak is getting worse or water is entering your home, treat it as urgent.
This is not the time for the classic Australian approach of staring at it for a minute and saying, “She’ll be right.”
She may not, in fact, be right.
What to Do if Your Hot Water System Is Leaking
First, keep yourself safe.
Hot water systems involve very hot water and, depending on the system, electricity or gas. This isn’t the time to start pulling covers off and seeing what’s inside.
If you can safely identify the water isolation valve supplying the hot water system, turn it off.
If you can’t identify it confidently, don’t start randomly turning valves and hoping for the best.
Call a plumber.
If water is spreading towards electrical equipment, power points or wiring, keep clear of the affected area.
Water and electricity are already bad enough separately.
There’s no need to introduce them.
GA PERRY provides plumbing services across Perth and can investigate leaking hot water systems, damaged pipework and other urgent plumbing problems.
Where Is the Hot Water System Leaking From?
The location of the leak can give your plumber useful information about what might be happening.
Common areas include:
- The hot water tank
- Pressure or temperature relief valves
- Pipe connections
- Water supply pipework
- Outlet pipework
- Fittings around the system
You don’t need to diagnose the fault yourself, but if you can safely see where the water is coming from, let your plumber know.
A photo can also be useful.
Preferably taken from somewhere that doesn’t require you to crawl behind a leaking hot water system in your good clothes.
And no, you don’t need to send us 47 photos from different angles.
We’re plumbers, not judging its Tinder profile.
Is Water Coming From the Relief Valve?
Hot water systems commonly have valves designed to manage pressure and temperature.
Some discharge can occur during normal operation, so seeing a small amount of water around a discharge pipe doesn’t automatically mean your hot water system is preparing for a dramatic exit.
However, constant leaking or a significant amount of water needs attention.
If you’re unsure whether what you’re seeing is normal, have a licensed plumber inspect it.
“Let’s just see what happens” isn’t a particularly strong maintenance strategy when hot water and pressure are involved.
Neither is kicking it.
We feel that should go without saying, but here we are.
What if the Hot Water Tank Itself Is Leaking?
This is where things can become more serious.
If water appears to be coming directly from the hot water tank rather than a fitting or external pipe, get it inspected promptly.
Depending on the age and condition of the system, your plumber can determine whether the fault can be repaired or whether replacement is the more sensible option.
Unfortunately, tanks don’t become younger while you think about it.
If an older system is badly corroded or the tank itself has failed, throwing money at repeated repairs may not make much sense.
At some point, you’re no longer repairing your old hot water system.
You’re sponsoring its retirement.
The important thing is finding out what has actually failed before making that decision.
Is a Leaking Hot Water System an Emergency?
Sometimes, yes.
A tiny drip that has been there for a while is very different from water actively pouring from the system.
You should consider getting urgent plumbing help if:
- Water is escaping quickly
- The leak is getting worse
- Water is entering the house
- You can’t isolate the water
- Water is approaching electrical equipment
- The system appears damaged
- You have suddenly lost hot water as well
- You’re concerned about the safety of the system
If you’re looking at the leak and thinking, “That seems like a lot of water”, that’s usually a pretty good sign you shouldn’t leave it until next week.
Once you’ve started deploying every towel in the linen cupboard, we’ve moved beyond “minor drip”.
If the problem needs urgent attention, contact GA PERRY for emergency hot water plumbing in Perth.
Can a Leaking Hot Water System Be Repaired?
Quite often, yes.
Whether repair makes sense depends on what’s leaking and the overall condition of the system.
A leaking connection or replaceable component is a very different situation from a failed tank.
The age of the unit matters too.
If your hot water system is relatively young and otherwise in good condition, repairing the fault may be straightforward.
If the unit is old, corroded and has already required several repairs, replacement may be worth considering.
There’s not much point lovingly restoring a hot water system one component at a time until you’ve accidentally bought it twice.
A plumber can inspect the system and give you a clearer idea of whether repair or replacement is the better option.
Why Has My Hot Water System Started Leaking?
There are several possible reasons.
Components wear out. Connections can deteriorate. Valves can develop faults. Corrosion can become a problem as systems age.
Water pressure and the general condition of the system can also play a role.
The important part is not assuming every leak has the same cause.
Finding water around the unit tells you there’s a problem.
It doesn’t necessarily tell you what the problem is.
That’s the bit your plumber gets paid to work out.
Google might have brought you here.
It probably shouldn’t be trusted with a spanner.
Should I Turn Off a Leaking Hot Water System?
If there is a significant active leak, isolating the water supply can help prevent more water from escaping.
However, hot water systems can involve electricity, gas, high temperatures and pressurised water.
If you aren’t sure which valve or switch controls what, don’t experiment.
Particularly if water is anywhere near electrical components.
Get professional help instead.
There is no prize for turning the wrong thing off particularly confidently.
There is also no bonus round for taking the cover off to “have a quick look”.
My Hot Water System Is Leaking and I Have No Hot Water
A leak combined with no hot water is a fairly convincing sign that something needs attention.
It doesn’t automatically tell us which component has failed, but it does give your plumber useful information when you call.
Tell them:
- What type of hot water system you have, if known
- Where the water appears to be coming from
- Whether the leak is constant
- Whether you still have hot water
- Approximately how old the system is
- Whether you’ve been able to isolate the water
You don’t need to know the technical terminology.
“Water is pouring out of the thing at the bottom” is still information we can work with.
We’ve heard worse descriptions.
Much worse.
If the leak has also left you without hot water, read our guide on what to do during a no hot water emergency.
Don’t Ignore a Small Hot Water Leak for Too Long
This is where people sometimes get caught.
The leak doesn’t seem bad enough to call anyone.
So it gets a bucket.
Then the bucket becomes part of the furniture.
A week goes by.
Then a month.
Eventually everyone in the house knows to step around “the hot water bucket” like it’s a beloved family pet.
If you’ve named the bucket, we’ve definitely gone too far.
A persistent leak deserves investigation even if it isn’t currently an emergency.
Apart from wasting water, the underlying problem may get worse and water can damage surrounding surfaces.
Get it checked before your bucket gets promoted to permanent plumbing infrastructure.
When Should You Call an Emergency Plumber?
If the system is actively releasing a substantial amount of water, you can’t isolate it or the leak is threatening the property, don’t wait around trying to diagnose it yourself.
Call an emergency plumber.
The same applies if water is getting near electrical equipment or the situation appears unsafe.
For less urgent leaks, organise an inspection before a manageable problem turns into an emergency one.
That’s generally cheaper and considerably less exciting.
And in plumbing, boring is good.
Nobody has ever called us at 2 am to excitedly announce that all their pipes are working perfectly.
Hot Water System Leaking in Perth? Call GA PERRY
If you’ve got a hot water system leaking in Perth, GA PERRY can inspect the problem and work out what needs to happen next.
It might be a repair.
It might need a replacement component.
Or your hot water system might finally be telling you it’s ready for retirement.
Either way, we’ll work out where the water is coming from and what can be done about it.
And if you’ve got water pouring everywhere rather than a polite little drip, don’t sit there reading another six plumbing articles.
You’ve done enough research.
Call GA PERRY on 08 9475 1500.
Our emergency hot water plumbers in Perth can help get the situation under control before your hot water system starts supplying the floor instead of the shower.
You can also find GA PERRY on Google to view our Google Business Profile, business information and customer reviews.
Hot water belongs in the pipes. Your hallway didn’t order a spa.
