Find the shut-off valve on the cold-water line coming into the top of the tank. Turn it clockwise until it stops. If you cannot locate it or the valve won't turn, know where your home's main shut-off is so you can stop all water if needed.
Do not use the shower, washer, or dishwasher. Every gallon that heats up puts more pressure on a failing tank. Turn off any heating to the unit if you have gas.
This buys you time before puddles reach electrical outlets or cause damage to flooring. A slow leak can become fast, so check it every 30 minutes.
Our plumber can arrive in 45 minutes. We size the right replacement tank for your home, haul away the old one, and have you back on hot water the same day.
A water heater that leaks from the bottom is at the end of its life. The tank itself is rusting through from the inside out. The anode rod inside the tank is designed to corrode instead of the steel walls, but once it is spent, water eats through the tank. In King City, our mineral-heavy water supply can wear out anodes faster than in softer-water areas. That leak will not seal itself, and it will not stay small.
When a plumber inspects a bottom leak, they are really asking one question: is the tank still holding pressure, or is it punctured? A slow drip might seem harmless, but the moment that hole widens, you lose all your hot water and water pours onto your foundation, into your garage, or into the room below. In a garage, that means pooling water near your car and electrical outlets. In a home with a crawl space, standing water rots wood and invites mold.
A water heater that is leaking from the tank body cannot be repaired. Patching or wrapping does not work. The only fix is replacement with a new tank sized for your household's hot-water demand. If your heater is more than ten years old and you see water pooling underneath it, do not wait for the leak to worsen. A call now means you choose the timing and the size of the new unit instead of facing an emergency flood at midnight.
Describe what you're seeing to a real King City plumber: call (831) 555-0100 or send the form. Free, no obligation.