Is Your Water Heater Leaking? Here’s What To Do

Twin Home Experts , owned by twin brothers David and Jim Schuelke, love to take their 28 years of plumbing experience, with well over 72,000 jobs completed and offer great helpful tips. We aim to educate our customers, help them save money and walk them through D-I-Y projects.

We have over 5 million views on our YouTube Channel with helpful videos – so make sure you visit us for more information.

When it comes to your water heater leaking, the first thing we often find when we arrive at the home is that the homeowner has waited too long. They notice water damage and black mold seeping up through floors or walls.

Los Angeles, CA – Our team was called to a home with major black mold, musty odors and water seeping into the garage and laundry room walls.

We did a quick inspection with an LED flashlight and noticed that the bottom of the water heater at the back was slowly leaking.

Then they filed an insurance claim…

1. Check your home’s water pressure. It should be below 85 psi – water heaters will leak if pressure is above 130 psi
2. Determine the source of the leak
3. Turn off the power
4. Turn off the water supply
5. Determine the location of the leak
6. Repair or replace

1. Shut the water valve off that is above your water heater
2. If there is a recirculation pump at the water heater, make sure you unplug the power source
3. Go inside and turn your hot water on to a few fixtures to verify that you have no more running water. Once confirmed, it’s safe to remove the old leaking water heater supply lines.
4. Replace the water flex connectors using a stainless steel supply line

Once you replace them, turn your water heater back on slowly with a few opened fixtures inside the house on the hot side to remove and prevent air lock in your home water supply.

If this looks complicated to do, then call Twin Home Experts in Los Angeles or Phoenix and we will be on our way.

The cost to replace your leaking water heater flex connectors is around $250 to $475.  

If you determine that the top is not leaking then we encourage you to watch the video for other important steps you have to take to determine the water heater leak.

There are some great water heater companies that ONLY do water heater repairs or replacements. You typically get a better install at a lower price and attention to the details that most plumbers don’t do.

There are 2 different types of water heaters, tankless or the traditional tank style.

1. Twin Home Experts :  480-680-8987
2. Fast Water Heater Company: 323-300-5665
3. Mike Diamond Services: 1-800-509-4987

1. Monkey Wrench Plumbing: 310-773-3882
2. Payless Water Heaters: 661-296-6644
3. Twin Home Experts: 480-680-8987

Just in case you find out that your water heater is leaking and needs replacement and are wondering what a new water heater costs for your home.

Typically for a 40 to 50-gallon water heater is the following breakdown:

1. Water heater: $650-$950
2. Misc Materials: $450
3. Drain and haul away: $150
4. Labor: $500-$1,000

If it’s a 75-gallon water heater then it can jump up another $1,500 to $2,500.

We have installed over 600 water heaters using all brands, from Home Depot’s GE Brand to Rheem, AO Smith, and Bradford White.

Bradford White water heaters are Twin Home Experts’ favorite water heater by far. We have had fewer leak issues with Bradford White than any other water heater.

We love their customer service and they truly back up their warranties. They also have a self-cleaning feature that prevents major build up at the bottom of the water heater.