Water damage in my garage near the water heater

[Greenjade]

I recently noticed the paint on my garage wall near my water heater was looking a little off color. When I scraped the peeling paint I found the drywall was wet underneath.

Has anyone else had the same issue?

My house is a 2007 designer cypress The tank is on a wooden box at the back of the garage in plain sight.

State Select gas water heater with a expansion tank on the top

Possibly leak from a rusting tray?

Any advise about repairing this?

Approach the gas utility?

[villagetinker]

IMHO, you probably have a leak, check the expansion tank as these typically fail after 5 to 7 years. If this has failed, the potential overpressure during the heating cycle can force water out the thermal over pressure valve. I also suspect the tray at the bottom has rusted or otherwise developed holes over the years.
You will probably need to have the hot water heater drained and removed, and the entire wooden structure inspected to see if or how much damage there is and what needs to be replaced or rebuilt. Do not skimp on this a this is supporting the water heater. Once all of the repairs are made, I am guessing you may need a new water heater also, some drywall, and a water sensor in the new tray.

[retiredguy123]

I would suggest placing a plastic cup under the PVC pipe inside the overflow tray to see if the T&P (temperature and pressure) relief valve is tripping. The relief valve is designed to trip when the water temperature exceeds 210 degrees, or the pressure exceeds 150 psi. When it trips, it may only discharge a small amount of water, which you will see in the cup. If it is tripping, you probably need a new water heater and/or an expansion tank, or a new T&P valve. I would also fill the overflow tray with water to see if it has a leak.

[Mrprez]

I’d check that drain for the pan as well. Could be clogged.

[Topspinmo]

IMO should be no water leaking, use paper towel to check for leaks. ( Look at top see if you see signs of joint leakage?) How old water heater are you talking about? If original the tank probably has tiny leak. Surprising there no water in drain pan? Even if pan has tiny rust leak still should be signs of water?

Another thing, you said drywall was wet? How far up the drywall? Does the water heater pipes go into that wall beside water heater at top?

[Greenjade]

I ran the hot water and put a cup under the pvc pipe that runs from the pressure release valve and after a while it had about an ounce or two of water in it. I have now put a small bucket there to catch the water. You can see from the photos that the water supply is on the back wall of the garage near the top of the WH but the water damage is on the adjacent wall near the wooden box that has the metal drain pan on it.

The WH is original as far as I know and the house was built in 2007

Could I just need a new drain pan and some repair to the water damage or it it best to replace the WH at the same time.

Does the pressure release always release a bit of water or is it kaput

[rjm1cc]

I would do a little research and see how long your brand of heater lasts. My guess is you should replace it and not try and fix it.

[Mrprez]

Have you ever drained your WH? You’d be surprised at what comes out of there.

[retiredguy123]

In my opinion, you need a new water heater, expansion tank, and overflow drain pan. If the relief valve is tripping because of excessive pressure, that is a dangerous situation. The valve should never trip. The contractor should also verify the integrity of the wood platform before installing the new heater. If necessary, they could remove the platform and replace it with a prefabricated metal platform.

[tsmall22204]

My advice would be to pay closer attention to your home and call a plumber.

[thevillages2013]

In my opinion, you need a new water heater, expansion tank, and overflow drain pan. If the relief valve is tripping because of excessive pressure, that is a dangerous situation. The valve should never trip. The contractor should also verify the integrity of the wood platform before installing the new heater. If necessary, they could remove the platform and replace it with a prefabricated metal platform.
Listen to 123 he speaks the truth. Until you get a plumber there turn that setting down a little (you have it set on a tick below nuclear)

[Craig Vernon]

I ran the hot water and put a cup under the pvc pipe that runs from the pressure release valve and after a while it had about an ounce or two of water in it. I have now put a small bucket there to catch the water. You can see from the photos that the water supply is on the back wall of the garage near the top of the WH but the water damage is on the adjacent wall near the wooden box that has the metal drain pan on it.

The WH is original as far as I know and the house was built in 2007

Could I just need a new drain pan and some repair to the water damage or it it best to replace the WH at the same time.

Does the pressure release always release a bit of water or is it kaput

First of all, let's begin by saying water heaters only require replacement if there is water leaking from the tank itself. The Pressure temperature valve is leaking and in a 2007 tank this part did pretty well. The part can be replaced personally for about twenty dollars, half drain the tank, use a pipe wrench to remove old replace with new from Home Depot, refill. Professional replacement locally here in Ohio 140$. Replacement of tank around 800-1000$. Good Luck.

[mabreyjk]

I had a similar problem with water on my lanai. The installing plumber said it was not a leak and must be ground water. A significant amount of money later and two holes in my walls, the issue was a poor PVC joint, water was barely seeping.

I recently noticed the paint on my garage wall near my water heater was looking a little off color. When I scraped the peeling paint I found the drywall was wet underneath.

Has anyone else had the same issue?

My house is a 2007 designer cypress The tank is on a wooden box at the back of the garage in plain sight.

State Select gas water heater with a expansion tank on the top

Possibly leak from a rusting tray?

Any advise about repairing this?

Approach the gas utility?

[mamamia54]

Our water heater does not have an expansion tank. What does an expansion do and are they really necessary?

[Goinghiway]

....six months I tried to locate the source of this leak, which was in the exact spot as yours.....long store short, after having the plumber out twice, Munn's A/C, service...I found the source.....my neighbor had a broken irrigation head next to my garage!!!!!

Good Luck

[retiredguy123]

Our water heater does not have an expansion tank. What does an expansion do and are they really necessary?
Yes, the expansion tank is necessary. It is required by the building code, but some older houses do not have them because the code was not in effect at that time. And, some plumbers will replace an old water heater and neglect to add the expansion tank. The expansion tank provides an air cushion in your water system to maintain a safe water pressure. When the tank heats up, the water expands a little and, without an expansion tank, the pressure can get too high, especially if all of your plumbing fixtures are turned off. The expansion tank should contain half water and half air, so the water can expand into the expansion tank and the pressure does not increase. The pressure in the expansion tank is normally set at about 60 psi. The expansion tank protects both the water heater and all of the plumbing fixtures in your house from damage due to excessive water pressure. When replacing your water heater, it is a good idea to require the plumber to include an expansion tank in their price quote.

[Randyj66]

If you have public water and not a well, a expansion tank is necessary and code required because essentially you have a closed system because of back flow check valves in the water supply.The tank is designed to absorb the excess pressure of the hot water because of thermal expansion. If not installed it stresses the system with too much pressure, causing premature failure of the HWH. If you have a well it already has a bladder tank so therefore one is not usually required.

[lpkruege1]

I recently noticed the paint on my garage wall near my water heater was looking a little off color. When I scraped the peeling paint I found the drywall was wet underneath.

Has anyone else had the same issue?

My house is a 2007 designer cypress The tank is on a wooden box at the back of the garage in plain sight.

State Select gas water heater with a expansion tank on the top

Possibly leak from a rusting tray?

Any advise about repairing this?

Approach the gas utility?

The pressure relief valve is leaking. They can be replaced. They come in different lengths so you would need to take it along or your repair person needs to have a selection with them. Check your water temperature to make sure you don't have it set too hot. The other issue is the pvc pipe is dripping past the pan. If you wouldn't have noticed the wall you probably wouldn't have noticed the leak. Having said that, water heaters typically need to be replaced every 15 to 20 years. So, do you repair or replace it?

[nancyre]

Can anybody tell me WHY the water heater is on a wooden box? I understand if it is gas and in a garage but why if electric and inside the house? What a waste of space

[jrref]

Quote " The WH is original as far as I know and the house was built in 2007"

What???

We have talked about this topic over an over but as many have said, Hot water heaters, generally last from 6 -12 years depending on the brand and model. The fact that the pressure release valve is opening means there is excess pressure in the tank and that's very dangerous. It's probably from the expansion tank being bad. They only last about 5 years and need to be replaced.

At this point instead of an approximate $1,200 tank replacement, you now have a way more expensive job on your hands. This is why you should always look at the label on your tank to find out how long it's warrentied for and replace it, whether it needs it or not, within a year after the warrenty, at your convenience. If you do this when the tank is replaced the plumber will check everything and replace the expansion tank, etc, and the chances of you having a problem will be extreemly low. Some might say wait until the water heater leaks before replacing it or repair a very old water heater, or say the pan will catch the water and there is a drain to the outside of the house so don't worry BUT after the warrenty period of the tank ends you are gambling on when the water heater will fail. Sure you will have the homeowner say "my water heater lasted 25 years no problem" but you will also see many tanks will have a serious leak sometimes unnoticed causing mold and or the tank will let go and flood your house. Since you will never know when the tank will fail it's always best to just change it the following year or two after the warrenty period at your convenience. Rheem has a new water heater tank called Gladiator that has a built in water sensor and shutoff valve right on the tank to catch leaks. It's only a little more expensive than the "regular" grade Rheem tank and is more efficient.

You can check your expansion tank easily by tapping on the tank. You can flip your finger on the lower side and then the uper side of the tank or tap with a screw driver handle. The bottom should give you a thud sounding tap while the upper part should sound hollow. If both the bottom and the top sound the same like a thud sound then the bladder inside the tank has failed, it's not regulating the pressure in you hot water system anymore since the water in the system expands and contracts with temperature, and you need to replace it. You can also check the pressure in the expansion tank via the pressure valve on top of the tank. It should read about 40-65 lbs depending on the water pressure from the street. On some of these expansion tanks they were installed in such a way where it's hard to take a pressure reading. These tanks usually only last about 5 years.

That said, if your expansion tank is bad it's easily changed by your local plumber or you can do it yourself BUT make sure who ever changes it, that they pressurize the tank BEFORE installation to the approximate water pressure from the street or it will fail prematurely. I discovered that some plumbers skip this step since the tank comes prepressurized at 40 lbs. The instructions that come with the tank have the pressurizing step in big bold type so you need to do this no matter what the plumber says. Once this is done, when you drain the water heater yearly, ( and you will say "Who does this?" lol ), while the heater is drained you can check the pressure on the expansion tank and with a bicycle pump, pump it up to the correct pressure then re-fill the heater.

If you follow this basic maintenance as i said, the probability of having a problem with your hot water tank will be extreemly low.

[villagetinker]

Can anybody tell me WHY the water heater is on a wooden box? I understand if it is gas and in a garage but why if electric and inside the house? What a waste of space

If your house is like our house, that wooden box is NOT empty, it has part of the HVAC air return duct work in it.

[jrref]

It's not common for the pressure release valve to be leaking unless there is excessive pressure in the tank. It's a very common mistake to replace the pressure release valve without checking the whole system first. Also while your hot water heater can possibly last 15 - 20 years, after the warrenty period you are gambling. It could fail at any time in many ways. In this case the owner could have changed the tank at 6-10 years for example and avoided this platform repair job. In some cases the leak can cause mold and that compounds the problem. So at the end of the day you are going to pay either way and you might as well change the heater at regular intervals and avoid a costly and involved repair or even worse a huge flood. As far as getting a new heater. I would recommend getting a quote from the local guys and Home Depot. Home Depot uses a very good plumbing contractor and the whole process is very simple.

[daca55]

If the expansion tank no longer has the correct air pressure (60psi) it will cause the pressure valve to leak. You should check the air pressure on the expansion tank. If the air pressure is less than 60psi you will need to add air to the expansion tank to bring it to 60psi. The fitting on the expansion tank is similar to a valve stem on a car tire. You can get a gage with that type of fitting at Lowes or Home Depot so you can check the air pressure in the expansion tank. Your leak may be solved by just adding air to the expansion tank.

[Proveone]

I recently noticed the paint on my garage wall near my water heater was looking a little off color. When I scraped the peeling paint I found the drywall was wet underneath.

Has anyone else had the same issue?

My house is a 2007 designer cypress The tank is on a wooden box at the back of the garage in plain sight.

State Select gas water heater with a expansion tank on the top

Possibly leak from a rusting tray?

Any advise about repairing this?

Approach the gas utility?
It could also be the condensation drain from your air handler is plugged.

[OhioBuckeye]

Apparently you don’t have the water heater sitting on a water heater tray? Or you have a leaky pipe in the wall or moisture is getting in there from something else. Hum, I would have someone look at it!

[JP]

It looks like your relief valve drain pipe is not going into your water tank tray and the relief valve is being triggered repeatedly over time. I would reduce your water heater temperature and see if that helps. If not, I would put on a new relief valve and/or expansion tank.

[Topspinmo]

I ran the hot water and put a cup under the pvc pipe that runs from the pressure release valve and after a while it had about an ounce or two of water in it. I have now put a small bucket there to catch the water. You can see from the photos that the water supply is on the back wall of the garage near the top of the WH but the water damage is on the adjacent wall near the wooden box that has the metal drain pan on it.

The WH is original as far as I know and the house was built in 2007

Could I just need a new drain pan and some repair to the water damage or it it best to replace the WH at the same time.

Does the pressure release always release a bit of water or is it kaput

IMO I would just replace the water heater (it’s only going to cause more problems) knock out all the birds (problems) with on stone (at once) then it will be good to go for another 15 plus years.

The stand probably made out of 2 by 4s, or may be metal? Probably just have to replace drywall covering it up.

[Topspinmo]

Can anybody tell me WHY the water heater is on a wooden box? I understand if it is gas and in a garage but why if electric and inside the house? What a waste of space

Codes.

[Topspinmo]

It could also be the condensation drain from your air handler is plugged.

Depends on house style, my house has no connection between water heater and A/C heating system. So the A/C drain now where near water heater.

[davbrindle]

I ran the hot water and put a cup under the pvc pipe that runs from the pressure release valve and after a while it had about an ounce or two of water in it. I have now put a small bucket there to catch the water. You can see from the photos that the water supply is on the back wall of the garage near the top of the WH but the water damage is on the adjacent wall near the wooden box that has the metal drain pan on it.

The WH is original as far as I know and the house was built in 2007

Could I just need a new drain pan and some repair to the water damage or it it best to replace the WH at the same time.

Does the pressure release always release a bit of water or is it kaput

Time to replace the expansion tank; easy DYI, shut off supply valve to tank, open any hot water faucet to relieve pressure, Unscrew tank (turn counter clockwise). Be careful, the tank will weigh around 16 pounds, water @8#/Gal times two. Tank can be put out with trash. Most installaytions don't require pipe dope or tape as they have a gasket-ed fitting.

[Worldseries27]

i recently noticed the paint on my garage wall near my water heater was looking a little off color. When i scraped the peeling paint i found the drywall was wet underneath.

Has anyone else had the same issue?

My house is a 2007 designer cypress the tank is on a wooden box at the back of the garage in plain sight.

State select gas water heater with a expansion tank on the top

possibly leak from a rusting tray?

Any advise about repairing this?

Approach the gas utility?
lot's of good advice in this thread.
You might want to consider direct vent wh
also
for all gas water heater owners, once in a while run a lit match around the diverter above the wh while it's running. If it blows out you have carbon monoxide spillage. It's odorless.
Call your plumber if this occurs.
If this occurred say in ny the wh would be tagged off and isolated from the gas piping system.

[Cliff Fr]

It does look like an improper installation in the picture because the expansion valve doesn't drain into the drain pan. Water will leach up into drywall over a period of time

[almondz]

We had the exact same thing last year. Since the dry wall is already wet and has to be replaced anyhow, I pulled out the wet drywall to expose the area. It wasn't my hot water tank, but one of the drainage pipes(pvc), from the HVAC that goes through the wall to the exterior, had disconnected at a joint and the water was running down the pipe through the pipe insulation to the interior of the wall. Easy and inexpensive fix, but a pain. So I guess my first thought is tear out the wet drywall and look for the source.

[Greenjade]

Thanks to an earlier post, I now have captured the water coming out from the pressure release pipe and the previously wet area is now dry,

Thank you

We have arranged for a new water heater and expansion tank to be installed
The installer/plumper will allow me time to repair the damage between the old out and the new WH install.

The State Select WH has a 2006 build date….so it is time for new

Many thanks to all responders

Stay safe

[HJBeck]

Can’t tell directly from the picture but it looks like the water temperature on your gas water heater is too high. Temperature should not be set above 135 degrees because of scalding hazard. If the temperature setting is causing the water to boil, this may be the cause of over pressure, thus the pressure relief valve could be going off occasionally. Water shooting down the pressure relief pipe could be splashing back up from the pan and making the wood and drywall wet. Also suggest you pour some water in the pan to see if it has a hole in it, which would then have to be replaced. Lots of work to replace pan ! I’ll have my friend who use to repair these gas devices look at this picture and see if the temperature setting is too high. Get make to you!

[BunnyA]

I recently noticed the paint on my garage wall near my water heater was looking a little off color. When I scraped the peeling paint I found the drywall was wet underneath.

Has anyone else had the same issue?

My house is a 2007 designer cypress The tank is on a wooden box at the back of the garage in plain sight.

State Select gas water heater with a expansion tank on the top

Possibly leak from a rusting tray?

Any advise about repairing this?

Approach the gas utility?

Recommend gas rebate for new gas water”heater. Gas to gas $350 to $ 500. Maybe more for Electric to Gas. Check Seco Rebate for Electric water heater and tankless rebates.

[frose]

change everything, you got your money's worth.

[RICH1]

Water Expansion tank …BUT it looks like yours is mounted on the hot side rather than the cold supply side! ANYBODY ELSE SEE THIS

[RICH1]

Great … I left a comment about expansion tank

[RICH1]

It should ,,,,,

[retiredguy123]

Water Expansion tank …BUT it looks like yours is mounted on the hot side rather than the cold supply side! ANYBODY ELSE SEE THIS
Maybe. The recommendation is the cold side, but it will work either way. I have seen it done both ways. I think they recommend the cold side because the expansion tank will be more durable with cold water in it.

[HJBeck]

Talked with my friend who looked at the temperature setting on the water heater. He said it looks like the temperature setting is on the very high side. If you look at the temperature control knob you can see where the arrow is on the knob. That arrow is where it should be. He suggests turning the setting back to that arrow. If that doesn’t do the trick it may be a weak pressure relief valve on the top of your water heater which means it would have to be replaced also, and if neither of the two option he mentioned don’t work then the temperature control mechanism could be bad. Hope this helps.