Is Your Water Heater's Pressure Relief Valve Leaking?

Water heaters are made with a pressure relief valve. This valve is made to allow water to escape from the tank if the pressure inside the tank gets too high. In doing so, the pressure relief valve prevents the hot water tank from exploring or suffering damage due to a high internal pressure.

But what should you do if you see water around your pressure relief valve? This means the valve is leaking, but it's tough to say whether the leak is due to high pressure or malfunctioning of the valve. Your best bet is to call a plumber who works on hot water heaters. Here are three approaches they might take, depending on the nature of the problem.

Replacing the Thermostat

If the pressure inside your tank is too high, causing water to spill out around the pressure relief valve, that could be because the thermostat in your hot water tank is broken. A broken thermostat will allow the water inside the tank to get too hot. Higher temperatures translate to higher pressures. 

A plumber will test your hot water heater's thermostat to see whether it is functioning properly. If it is broken, they can replace the thermostat. This will allow the tank to better maintain its temperature and pressure to avoid triggering water release from the pressure relief valve.

Replacing the Valve

It is possible that the pressure relief valve itself has come loose, and its looseness is now allowing water to escape even when the tank is at an agreeable pressure. If this is the case, your plumber can replace the valve. This is a fairly easy repair to make since the valve is located at the top of the tank. They'll just turn off the tank's water supply, remove the current valve, put a new one into place, and turn the water back on.

Replacing the Tank

Another possibility is that there is a small hole or rusted-out spot next to the pressure relief valve. Typically when this happens, your best option is to have the whole hot water tank replaced. A plumber might be able to fix it, but if a tank has a hole in this location, it probably also has some other age-related issues that will start causing problems soon. It's not often worth repairing the hole only to have to pay for more repairs in a month or two.

Water around your hot water heater's pressure relief valve should always prompt you to call the plumber. They'll use their expertise to recommend the best fix.

For more information, reach out to a professional plumber.