# Gas Water Heater Problem (photo)



## Mike Swearingen (Mar 15, 2005)

Replace that water heater. Sorry. It is time for it.
Good Luck!
Mike


----------



## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

if the water is coming down the flue vent, you have a leak up there somewheres and the WH is most likely not the problem.

DM


----------



## Caerus (Nov 1, 2008)

Thanks for the replies. Very different responses, though. I should ad that this house is a rental. Of course I know the landlord is responsible, but I think that it might be fixable sooner if I can figure it out. One of the rooms is right next to the heater and there is minor water damage along some of the walls there which makes me think this has happened before. Now, if it has it looks like they didn't replace the heater since it looks pretty old. Unless, of course, they replaced it with an old heater for some reason.

What is it that the flue vent does, and how could water get into it? As soon as I turn on the input water it leaks out of the flue vent within seconds.


----------



## Marvin Gardens (Sep 30, 2008)

You have a problem.

It looks like the water is coming from the flue. The pipes look dry.

Track down where the water is coming from. It could be from a leak in the pipes further down the line. Or it could be a leak from the vent getting rain water in that.

Also there is a date of manufacturer on the tank. Look for that to see just how old it is.

I'd call the landlord right away. You don't want to lose any deposit you have and delaying it will just cause more damage.


----------



## Caerus (Nov 1, 2008)

Yeah, we've talked to the landlord. I'm just trying to figure anything out I can so I can get some hot water.

As for it being rain, I don't think it could be. It only leaks when I turn that right valve, and it does so seconds after I turn it. If the water was leaking from somewhere up the line of the pipe I don't think closing the valve would help, but I don't understand how water is getting into the flue.


EDIT: I found that draining the tank stops the leak from the flue vent temporarily. If I empty the tank, I can turn the water back on and it wont have any problems until it has filled a ways.


----------



## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

of course! it seems to me it's leaking from a broken pipe above the flue, which carries NO water EVER, it's for venting gasses (air only) so if you turn on the water-out faucet, it starts the leaking and running down the flue pipe to the top of the tank, so you need to 'follow the wet' to see where it starts leaking onto the flue pipe and address that. i can guarantee that a 'bad' water heater in no way could leak down a flue vent. just ain't possible.... the pipe FROM the heater, easily... just trace the line till you find the wet spot. it's broken there somewheres.

DM


----------



## SD515 (Aug 17, 2008)

One thing to look at: Make sure the gas valve is set all the way low, or to 'pilot', turn the supply water valve off and dry up the area as best as possible. Turn the water on, and look under the draft vent hood. I'm suspecting a pin-hole leak in the inner flue pipe of the tank, that is spraying up inside the draft hood. Using a mirror (a cosmetic make-up mirror works well) might help see better, or removing the draft hood might be necessary.


----------



## tribe_fan (May 18, 2006)

If the gas is off, and it leaks as soon as you turn on the water valve - after it fills up - it simply has to be a leak external to the tank, on the "out side" of the plumbing. All you can really do is see if there is a sink upstears that may be leaking at a connection - maybe you will get lucky and can turn only that off.


----------



## SD515 (Aug 17, 2008)

??? With all of the faucets in the house shut off, or in the case of a htr that has the valves shut off on both the hot and cold sides, a water heater with an internal pin-hole leak will dribble at best. Introducing air will force the water out of the pin-hole...as will opening the cold water supply valve, which then puts pressure on the water. So the leak doesn't necessarily need to be 'external' to the tank.


----------



## Caerus (Nov 1, 2008)

Hey everyone, thanks for all the input. I haven't solved it yet, but so far SD515's theory is making the most sense to me. It is the valve the puts cold water into the tank that causes the leaking, and it only happens if the tank is fairly full. So, I think that the leak must be somewhere in the tank. If the leak were in one of the pipes, I don't think closing the valve to the tank would help at all, since it would still have pressure to escape from any hole in the pipe. I have noticed that as the leaking is happening there is also water dripping down the flue and onto the pilot area. A leak that is spraying into the hood seems to fit all of this so far. One more complication now though, except for the first time I drained it, the tank has rust colored water.


----------



## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

from the pic, it looks like there's clearance enough you should be able to see if it's squirting up into the flue, am i correct? 
DM


----------



## Caerus (Nov 1, 2008)

I just checked that, and yes there is quiet a bit of water squirting up into the flue.

Thar she blows: http://img372.imageshack.us/img372/1072/picture058bd0.jpg

Thanks for the help everyone, it looks like there is no way around replacing this heater.


----------



## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

welp, like i said, no way it can leak DOWN a flue vent! good call Kyle.

DM


----------



## SD515 (Aug 17, 2008)

Hi there DM...Long time no chase around the barn yard...lol. 

Wow..I was right?? Who'd a thunk it. Glad to hear ya found the source Caerus...a nice land lord will have ya hot water in no time.


----------



## Tankless Man (Jun 10, 2007)

With that amount of water, i doubt it's a pinhole. Looks like a crack in the flu pipe / weld.

That is rare to see but there is no fix for that. Tell the owner, he got his money worth out of it.


----------

