Help... Water Heater Leak

[Tooms22]

So last night I went in the garage and I though I heard the water heater running but it sounded odd. I looked and there was a tiny leak in the braided water inlet pipe. Apparently the water pressure was high enough to blast a hole in the wall. I quickly shut off the valve where the pipe comes out of the wall. This thing is still leaking. It's a lot less, but still leaking. I made a poor attempt to stop the leak with electric tape. I even turned the gas off and drained it but it never stopped draining. Water is still coming through that pipe. 24-48 hours until we hear back from the home warranty repair guy.

So what am I missing? Is that valve broken and still letting water in? I could always turn off the water main but I'd rather not.

 

[Stainless]

Could be an old valve. I have one outside to shut off some irrigation in the winter that won't shut off completely.

 

[UHHH SUCKA]

Shut the main Water valve off going into the house and replace the braided hose to get you by for now.......they are about $15. Had to do the same thing to mine. If you have warranty, let them know that the valve might be bad and have them look at that. That's an easy fix if you know what you are doing and have the tools.

 

[FreeBird236]

Might try turning the ball valve off and on a few times, they get corroded inside.

 

[termiteguy]

Tell the home warranty company that the water won't stop running. They should send someone pretty quickly I would hope

 

[riverroyal]

shut off main to house, maybe near the sidewalk..I had the same style hose blow at new years. $30000 damage, still not finished with the rebuild

 

[Tooms22]

Tried the valve a couple of time but it didn't work. I shut off the main. I thought there might be another way but I guess not... Thanks for all of the input

 

[Flying_Lavey]

You sure that's the cold water side and not the hot water side? I've seen a few where some wildly intelligent person put a shut off on just the hot water side.

Also, you can get calcium and scale build-up inside the heater and it blocks/restricts the drain greatly.

 

[Mandelon]

If you don't shut off the main you can backfeed the hot side through faucets with mixing valves. The cold water will push into the hot side and vice versa with those single handled faucets.

Ball valves usually work. There is usually a nylon ball inside that doesn't corrode. It can get loose buildup caught in it though.

Many times the Jones valve on the house side of the meter will leak, as can the valve on the city side of your meter.

 

[Tooms22]

You sure that's the cold water side and not the hot water side? I've seen a few where some wildly intelligent person put a shut off on just the hot water side.

Also, you can get calcium and scale build-up inside the heater and it blocks/restricts the drain greatly.

I'm going to double check when I get home but I think this might be the issue. I remember the leaking water being warm and not having hot water instantly after shutting off the valve. If it was the cold water inlet and I turned it off, I should have hot water until the tank emptied, correct?

 

[Tooms22]

If you don't shut off the main you can backfeed the hot side through faucets with mixing valves. The cold water will push into the hot side and vice versa with those single handled faucets.

Ball valves usually work. There is usually a nylon ball inside that doesn't corrode. It can get loose buildup caught in it though.

Many times the Jones valve on the house side of the meter will leak, as can the valve on the city side of your meter.

I don't really understand what you mean by backfeed? And funny that you said something about the city side. On Wednesday, a guy who worked for the city water district said our water would be off for 10 minutes so he could put in a new meter. I told him the main valve leaked and he said "Oh I don't fix that." I said well you work for the city and you guys are paying for the water that leaks before the meter. When I went out there this morning... it was still leaking.

 

[Flying_Lavey]

I'm going to double check when I get home but I think this might be the issue. I remember the leaking water being warm and not having hot water instantly after shutting off the valve. If it was the cold water inlet and I turned it off, I should have hot water until the tank emptied, correct?

No. Once the valve is shut, no matter what side it's on there won't be any water pressure in the hot side after a few minutes at most so the water would just sit in the pipes and not flow out.

Also, when draining and assuming the valve is on the cold side, open a hot water valve at the highest point inside the house to vent the lines and allow the water to drain. Try to make sure it's a single valve like a 3 valve set-up in a bath tub or something so you don't get the cold water side bleeding back into the hot water side.

 

[Mr. C]

Do you happen to have a valve before your regulator you can close?

 

[Tooms22]

No. Once the valve is shut, no matter what side it's on there won't be any water pressure in the hot side after a few minutes at most so the water would just sit in the pipes and not flow out.

Also, when draining and assuming the valve is on the cold side, open a hot water valve at the highest point inside the house to vent the lines and allow the water to drain. Try to make sure it's a single valve like a 3 valve set-up in a bath tub or something so you don't get the cold water side bleeding back into the hot water side.

Ok I think I am going to drain it with the water main still off. Then I'm going to leave the valve off above the water heater and turn the main back on. If the valve is on the cold water side, it shouldn't fill up. If not, it will fill up and start leaking again.

Do you happen to have a valve before your regulator you can close?

I have one right outside the front door in the ground, but I tried that already. I'll have to search for another one tonight.

Some good news though... home warranty repair guy is coming tomorrow between 12 and 2.

 

[OCMerrill]

If you don't shut off the main you can backfeed the hot side through faucets with mixing valves. The cold water will push into the hot side and vice versa with those single handled faucets.

Ball valves usually work. There is usually a nylon ball inside that doesn't corrode. It can get loose buildup caught in it though.

Many times the Jones valve on the house side of the meter will leak, as can the valve on the city side of your meter.

This exactly. Great info here.

 

[ChevelleSB406]

I went through this exact scenario last year. I couldn't get the valve to shut, had to shut off the main. I replaced the flexi copper lines, the people at HD were trying to sell me on that PEX stuff and refitting the whole deal, said they didn't sell the flex ones, until I found them by the water heaters themselves in a 2 pack, one red, one blue.

 

[Tooms22]

Plumber who does work the home warranty company came by and replaced the pipe today. He said the type of fixtures we have in the house allow the water to backfeed as Mandelon said. So, turning off the main was our only option. We used the home warranty in case there was a more major problem... Now I wish I would've just fixed it myself. You live and you learn.

One good thing... the valve is on the cold water pipe for the water heater. That doesn't help much when it backfeeds :grumble:

Thanks again for all of the help.