On 11 Sep 2006 22:04:58 -0700, wrote:

Hello,
I noticed a leak from the top of our 15 year old Rheem water heater.
I touched the water and it was warm. So I looked near the hot water
pipe coming out from the top of the heater and that's where it seems to
be leaking from. So, I shut off the valve on that pipe, which means NO
hot water supply to the house. That stopped the leak from the top.

If I turn the valve again, it seem leak under that pipe and then starts
flowing down the heater..

So, my questions a

1) Is shutting the valve enough to prevent any further leaking ? i.e.
should I shut the gas too to be safe ?

2) I am assuming the sealant near where the pipe is connected to the
heater is leaking. Can there be other explainations to what I see ?

3) If it is a leak in the pipe, can I try to open the connection and
apply a pipe sealant and re-connect it ? Is that safe ? Any "pressure"
thing to be aware off ?

4) Am I better off calling a plumber or installer (who?) ? Is this a
complicated thing to fix ?


HELP ! Its midnight now and my wife's going to realize in the morning
that there's no hot water !

Thanks
NeedHelp.

You provided all the details except the type of pipe you have.
I assume it galv. steel. Yes, remove the pipe, and replace that
piece. Apply teflon tape. Pipes tend to corrode right where they
enter a water heater, and you probably got a tiny hole at the threads.
Your magnesium anode is probably dead inside the heater, that makes
the pipes corrode and rust faster. With the water off, shut off the
gas to the pilot position. You can leave the pilot light on. If for
no other reason, you will only be wasting gas till the water works
again.

Warning, that pipe might not come out real easy after 15 years. You
could snap it off or damage the heater. Be prepared to replace the
heater if you do, unless you are real handy with pipe threading and
removal of broken pieces. But you may be lucky too....
If it happens, dont cry over it. 15 years is pretty much the life of
a water heater.

Sure, call a plumber if you are afraid of the job, but if you are
handy, give it a try, and if you got to replace the heater, it's not
all that hard. You'll save money. Just replace the pipes above the
heater. THey always turn to **** up there. Replace them to the
nearest union. A new heater may be taller or shorter, so some pipe
changes may occur, but those are the bad ones anyhow. They do sell
flex pipes for that use too.

The gas pipe could also be too short or long if the new tank is
different so try to get one that matches as close as possible. On gas
pipes, use pipe dope or the yellow teflon that says "FOR GAS".
Be sure to apply dish soap water to gas pipe threads to test for
leaks.