If your valve is located on the top of your water heater like in the picture below check to see where it s leaking from.
Electric water heater leaking from top.
The next step is to shut off the water supply to the tank.
Sometimes valves in these overhead pipes can begin to secrete water and of course gravity brings it down.
One of the most common reasons your hot water heater may be leaking at the top could be due.
However if not fixed promptly these types of leaks can lead to serious and costly damage as water travels down the exterior of your water heater.
Sometimes the pressure relief valve will leak if it was opened for the very first time.
From its base where it screws into the water heater from the piping attached to the t p relief valve and also coming out of the open end of the pipe.
If it hasn t rained in awhile or you have an electric hot water heater leaking on top then carefully check the copper plumbing directly above your tank.
For a gas water heater turn the thermostat control to the off position.
Find the cold water inlet valve.
If your hot water heater is leaking from the top follow these tips faulty water inlet valves.
Now take a garden hose and attach it securely to.
A drip from above can easily leak down on top of the water heater and even work its way down the insulation and make it look like the leak is coming from the tank itself.
Water heater is leaking from pressure relief valve if the water heater is dripping from the top then all you have to do is replace the pressure relief valve.
Another reason your hot water heater may be leaking at the top could be because.
2 connection that generates cold water.
The first place to check is the plumbing pipes above the water heater.
In most cases when a water heater is leaking from the top it s usually pretty easy to pinpoint to leak.
3 connection that releases pressure.
1 connection that generates hot water.
Your pipe fittings are loose.
The valve is usually a lever or a knob type valve.
Two places it may be leaking from include.
Check the plumbing pipes above the water heater using a stepladder if necessary.
A leak that is originating from the top of a water heater if caught in a timely manner is almost always repairable.
The first thing that you should do is go to your electrical panel and turn off the breaker that is marked water heater.
It s on the cold water pipe which supplies water to the water heater.
If the leak is just a few drops then you can wait a day or two and see if the leak continues.
Most homes have a dedicated circuit breaker for an electric water heater and some were built with an easily accessible secondary shut off in the vicinity of the heater itself.