Water Heater Not Working or Leaking: What to Check First
No hot water, lukewarm water or a puddle around the tank is a common winter problem. This guide covers safe checks to run first, warning signs that mean you should stop and call a pro, and what to tell the plumber. LocalRepairLine is a referral service, not a contractor, and this is general information, not a substitute for an in-person inspection. If the only symptom is cold water, our guide on no hot water walks through the checks by heater type.
Safety first
If you smell gas, leave the house, avoid switches and flames, and call your gas utility or emergency services from outside. Do not touch a tank that's hot to the touch near a leak, and keep children and pets away from standing water around electrical items. Never block or cap the pressure relief valve or its drain pipe.
Signs of a water heater problem
- No hot water, or hot water that runs out quickly.
- Water that's only lukewarm.
- Rumbling, popping or banging sounds from the tank.
- Rusty or cloudy hot water.
- Water pooling around the base or dripping from fittings.
- A pilot light that keeps going out on a gas unit.
Quick checks if you have no hot water
- Check the power or gas. On an electric unit, look at the breaker. On a gas unit, make sure the gas valve is on and the pilot or igniter is working as the label describes.
- Check the thermostat setting. It may have been bumped or set too low.
- Look for a tripped reset button on an electric heater. Follow the label and don't open panels with the power on.
- Check other taps. If only one tap is cold, the problem may be a mixing valve or fixture, not the heater.
- Think about cold weather. Very cold incoming water, or a cold garage or basement, can make the heater struggle.
If the tank is leaking
- Turn off the power at the breaker, or set a gas unit to its off or pilot setting.
- Close the cold water supply valve on top of the tank.
- Find where the water is coming from: a fitting, the relief valve or the tank itself. A leak from the tank body usually means the tank has failed.
- Mop up water and move items away so it can't spread. Photograph the leak and the area.
- Arrange a repair with a local plumber.
What not to do
- Do not relight a gas pilot if you smell gas.
- Do not work on electrical parts without turning the power off at the breaker.
- Do not ignore a small drip. It can turn into a flood.
- Do not drain a hot tank. The water can scald.
- Do not remove or plug the pressure relief valve.
Common causes
- A failed heating element or thermostat on an electric unit.
- A faulty pilot, thermocouple or igniter on a gas unit.
- Sediment buildup that makes the tank noisy and less efficient.
- An aging tank that has started to corrode.
- Loose or worn fittings and supply connections.
What to tell the plumber
- Gas or electric, and roughly how old the unit is, if you know.
- What you noticed first and when it began.
- Whether there's a leak and where the water appears to come from.
- What you have already checked or turned off.
Need a plumber?
Describe the problem to an independent local plumbing company. A short automated prompt plays first, and then you're connected. LocalRepairLine is a referral service, not a contractor.
Water heater repair by city
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