Water Heater Leak Cleanup in Bothell, WA

Water heater leak cleanup in Bothell is a frequent call because so many homes here have the tank in a garage, a hall closet or a utility room that shares a wall with a carpeted family room. When the tank's inner lining rusts through, it rarely trickles politely into the drain pan. The full contents spill, and because the cold-water supply keeps refilling the tank, the leak continues until someone closes the valve. Through our referral line (opening soon), you can be connected with an independent restoration company to dry the area and assess what has to be removed.

How water heaters fail

• Tank corrosion. Once the sacrificial anode rod is used up, the steel tank rusts from the inside. A leak at the bottom seam usually means the tank has reached the end.
• Temperature and pressure relief valve. The T&P valve opens when pressure or temperature is too high. A discharge line that ends on the floor, or no discharge line at all, puts that water straight onto finished surfaces.
• Supply connections. Flexible connectors on top of the tank can corrode or crack.
• Drain valve. Plastic drain valves can crack or be left slightly open after flushing.
• Expansion tank failure. A failed expansion tank raises pressure and stresses the T&P valve and fittings.

Where the water goes

A tank in a garage leaks toward the lowest point — often under the door into the house, or under the wall plate into the next room. Water that runs under a wall wicks up the drywall from behind and soaks the carpet pad on the other side, so the visible stain is usually smaller than the wet area. In a hall closet upstairs, the water goes down through the subfloor into the ceiling below. In homes over a crawl space, much of it ends up on the vapor barrier under the house.

What the restoration provider does

1. Checks that the supply valve is closed and power or gas to the heater is off.
2. Maps moisture along every wall that borders the heater location, and checks the floor and ceiling below.
3. Extracts water from carpet and pad in adjoining rooms, and from the crawl space if water went down.
4. Removes wet baseboard and, where readings call for it, the bottom section of drywall to dry the wall cavity.
5. Runs air movers and dehumidifiers with daily readings until the materials are dry.

Hot water that sat for a while can promote mold growth faster, so start drying within a day if you can. A plumber or the restoration company's plumbing partner replaces the heater itself.

Reducing the risk

• Check the age of your tank and plan replacement before it fails.
• Install a drain pan piped to a drain where the tank sits over finished space.
• Make sure the T&P valve has a discharge line that ends near a drain or outside.
• Add a water sensor or an automatic shutoff near the heater.
• Flush the tank yearly and have the anode rod checked.

Washington requires seismic straps on water heaters, and a strapped tank is less likely to tip and break its connections in an earthquake. If yours is unstrapped, mention it to the plumber.

When you are ready, email info@bothellwaterdamagewa.com while our phone line is being set up.