Why water heaters fail
A tank water heater is a steel tank lined with glass or a similar coating, with a sacrificial anode rod inside to slow corrosion. Over time the rod is used up and the tank starts to rust from the inside. Mineral scale from hard water builds up at the bottom and makes things worse: it insulates the heating element or burner and creates hot spots that stress the tank. Eventually the tank cracks or a seam fails.
Typical tanks last roughly eight to twelve years, and a lot of them fail sooner in areas with hard water. Failure can be slow, with a weep around the base or a drip from a connection, or it can be sudden, a split that empties the tank across the floor. Connections, fittings, a failed pressure-relief valve, or a leaking drain valve are other sources.
Where the water goes
In many homes the water heater is in the garage or in a closet off the laundry room, which means water can run across a garage slab, under a door into the house, into stored boxes, or into wall bases and flooring in the adjoining room. A water heater in an attic or a closet near a bedroom can be worse, bringing water through a ceiling or into carpet.
A heater in a garage is often surrounded by stored items. Cardboard boxes absorb water and fall apart. Paper, photographs, holiday decorations and tools sit in the path, and the whole mess can sit unnoticed for hours.
What to do first in water heater flood cleanup
Turn off the water supply to the heater
There is usually a valve on the cold water line above the tank. If you can reach it without standing in water, close it. If not, use the main shutoff.
Turn off the power or gas
For an electric heater, shut off the breaker. For gas, turn the gas control valve to off. Do not do either if you have to stand in water to reach it.
Be careful of hot water
The water can be scalding. Keep away from the tank and from water near it.
Stay out of standing water near outlets,
power tools and extension cords.
Move belongings out of the water path,
if it is safe. Photograph them first.
Call us and a plumber
The heater has to be removed or replaced, and the area cleaned and dried.
What we do in water heater flood cleanup
Extract the water. A garage floor can be cleared quickly with pumps and wet vacuums. For a closet or utility room, the extraction includes the flooring and often the baseboards and the wall bases.
Check where it went. The heater is the source, but the water probably went farther. We trace it into adjoining rooms, under doors and along wall bases, using moisture readings.
Remove ruined materials. Soaked carpet pad, baseboards that are swelling, drywall at the base of the wall and wet insulation may need to come out. See controlled demolition.
Dry the structure. Air movers and dehumidifiers go in for several days, and we check the slab, the wall bottoms and cabinet bases. See structural drying.
Deal with belongings. We separate what can be dried and cleaned from what cannot, photograph and inventory them. See contents pack-out.
Clean and sanitize. A garage that has had water and dirt on it needs cleaning, and sanitizing may be appropriate if the water sat for a while.
What about the water heater itself
We do not replace water heaters. A plumber does that. Typically the plumber disconnects the failed unit, removes it and installs a new one with a proper drain pan and a drain line, and ideally a leak sensor. We coordinate so the old heater can be hauled out before the drying equipment goes in.
If you are replacing the heater, a few options reduce future damage. A drain pan with a pipe to a safe discharge location catches slow leaks. A leak sensor with an automatic shutoff valve stops water at the source. A heater that is installed with good access is easier to inspect.
How to prevent a repeat in water heater flood cleanup
- Flush the tank each year to reduce scale, if the manufacturer recommends it. Ask a plumber about the anode rod.
- Look at the base of the tank and the connections regularly for rust, drips or puddles.
- Know the age of your tank. Past ten years, it is worth planning a replacement before it fails.
- Keep stored items off the floor near the heater, on shelves or pallets.
- Know where the shutoff is.
Insurance and water heater flood cleanup
Sudden water heater failures are commonly covered as water damage, but the heater itself is often not, since it is wear and tear. Coverage varies. We document the cause and the damage, including photographs of the failed tank if available.
What affects the cost of water heater flood cleanup
Garage-only losses are typically smaller than losses that reach into the living area. Cost depends on how much water, how far it traveled, whether carpet or finished flooring was reached, and how many belongings are affected. See pricing.
Questions about water heater flood cleanup
Will the water have soaked into the slab?
It can, but a garage slab dries more readily than a house slab. We take readings to confirm.
Can I save the boxes in the garage?
Cardboard is difficult to save once soaked. Plastic bins and hard items are easier. We help sort.
Do I need to remove everything?
Not always. We move what is needed to dry the floor and walls, and we keep an inventory.