Leaking Water Heater

**sourdough** · 02-06-2017, 04:57 PM

Well, I was going out to work on my jerking slides and saw water dripping from the front corner of the trailer.....where it shouldn't be. Investigated and found my water heater is apparently leaking. This a 2014 trailer so it seems awfully soon for it to quit, but, my question is this; it doesn't leak when it's just sitting there with water pressure on it that I can see. When the hot water is turned on it then begins to leak. My wife took a shower this morning and it leaked enough to run through the floor, soak the carpet in the pass through then out the floor. The no leak unless the water is running doesn't compute to me - it seems it would leak if there was pressure on it even without water movement. Any thoughts to hopefully turn on a light bulb here??

Javi · 02-06-2017, 05:30 PM

Most likely not the heater itself... look at the lines behind it

slow · 02-06-2017, 05:34 PM

I agree with Javi. Check the fittings at the water heater.

I had the same issue, a leak only when the H2O tank was on and water being used. I found a loose fitting in the most difficult location to tighten.

PARAPTOR · 02-06-2017, 05:39 PM

Interesting, no leaks under pressure, only notice water when used, could it be from a drain rather than a source. But this would be independent of hot or cold water source. Just a thought.

**sourdough** · 02-06-2017, 06:01 PM

No connection leaks. The drain and pressure valve have no leaks. Actually, it appears that there is no leak if nothing is running. Turn on the hot water and a film of water starts building under the styrofoam covering the tank and it then accumulates more and more until it runs down the wall and into the pass thru. Turn off the water faucet, dry the water and NOTHING happens...no water build up...it actually dries out. Turn on the water and it starts leaking again coming from under the foam. Makes no sense to me.

A thought; would you think that turning on the water might make a connection leak more than just having the water pressure on it? I believe I checked all scenarios but I could do it again.

**sourdough** · 02-06-2017, 06:26 PM

Just went and checked again. There are no water leaks in any of the plumbing. With the hot water on water starts appearing under the foam surrounding the tank. Dry it up, turn off the water and it doesn't re-appear. I'm assuming something in the tank although I don't understand how it's happening.

PARAPTOR · 02-06-2017, 06:42 PM

In my previous post did not realize you had the leak source identified to the HW tank area, if not the tank itself. Just wondering what would happen if you shut off the heat source to the HW tank and basically run cold water through the tank system, still see a leak ??

**sourdough** · 02-06-2017, 07:16 PM

When I did the last test the heating element had been off for about 6 hours but the water (thru the piping) felt hot. My wife said it was luke warm. I'll try it again in the AM with cold (about to go to bed and like a hot shower

bobbecky · 02-06-2017, 08:20 PM

I had to replace our HW heater this past summer due to a leak. Your unit, even more so than ours, shouldn't be leaking as new as it is. I just bit the bullet and replaced it. Purchased from Dyers. The leak was from a weld where they weld the burner tube to the tank itself. Did the replacement myself, even though it might have been nice having a little help when installing the new one into the hole. Other than that, it wasn't too bad to do.

**hankpage** · 02-06-2017, 08:32 PM

I would take a close look at the check-valve on the cold inlet of the tank. A crack at the point where the valve seats could only leak when the valve opens. (water flow into heater.) JM2¢, Hank

**chuckster57** · 02-06-2017, 08:49 PM

Aren't check valves on the hot out?

I would wrap a dry towel around the hot out, turn on the tap and check the towel. If dry do it again at the cold in. That you can rule out the water connections.

**sourdough** · 02-06-2017, 08:56 PM

Thanks all. I will recheck all the piping and connections tomorrow before I order a new water heater. I'm pretty good at analyzing things but this one is a bit weird. Unfortunately I don't know enough about the internal construction of one of these heaters to know what might fail, nor do I know how it is getting out of the Styrofoam enclosure. It does seem that it is coming from the tank in some way. BTW - I had a towel sitting beside the heater where the water comes out all afternoon and it was dry as a bone. Wife went in to wash a few dishes and the towel was soaking wet

bobbecky · 02-06-2017, 09:33 PM

Initially, our tank leaked intermittently, but got to leaking more and more, until I changed the water heater. To add to the mess, we also developed a leak in the grey water tank, that was leaking on the same side of the trailer. I repaired the tank leak the following month.

**hankpage** · 02-07-2017, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chuckster57

Aren't check valves on the hot out?

I would wrap a dry towel around the hot out, turn on the tap and check the towel. If dry do it again at the cold in. That you can rule out the water connections.

The check valve SHOULD be on the inlet so the hot water does not migrate back into the cold and should be installed by the heater manufacturer. With a small leak the paper towel method is the only one I have found to work.

**sourdough** · 02-07-2017, 10:25 AM

I appreciate all the help folks. I have inspected, tightened pulled/pushed everything around the tank and there are no leaks. However, the area under the foam enclosure continues to have water seep out from under it. I can only assume it is coming from between the tank and the foam then leaking out from between the two somewhere at the back of the cutout for the black junction box. Very disheartening; the heater looks brand new inside and out and it pains me to have to replace it but........ I had a small leak on the water inlet line under the bathroom sink due to a loose connection when we first arrived here so thought this might be as simple but guess not.

bobbecky · 02-07-2017, 06:21 PM

The check valve on the hot water outlet, if one is installed, is used with a water heater bypass valve to prevent water and antifreeze from entering the tank when winterizing the water system. The check valve is installed by the RV builder and does not come with the water heater.

**chuckster57** · 02-07-2017, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobbecky

The check valve on the hot water outlet, if one is installed, is used with a water heater bypass valve to prevent water and antifreeze from entering the tank when winterizing the water system. The check valve is installed by the RV builder and does not come with the water heater.

That's what I see pretty much every time, across a lot of different brands.

**sourdough** · 02-07-2017, 08:03 PM

The hot outlet just has a fitting screwed into the tank with the water fitting screwed onto it. It doesn't leak. The cold water inlet has what appears to be some sort of device welded into the tank that extends out about 2 " with the water inlet hose screwed onto that. There are no leaks in those fittings....as much as I wish there was.

zuley · 02-08-2017, 05:25 AM

I have followed this post closely curious as to the outcome. Does not sound as though it has resolved itself. Thinking as I have read how I would perhaps correct the issue with my limited knowledge. Have you pressure tested the system yet? Drain the system as if you were winterizing. With the system presurized soap test all joints with the taps closed and again with the taps open. From what I read it appears the issue only happens with the taps in the open position.

Javi · 02-08-2017, 06:53 AM

Since it only leaks when the hot water tap is open, I just can't see it being the tank itself..

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