What to Do When Your Water Heater Leaks: First 10 Minutes
Ten calm minutes, in the right order, turn a potential flood into a routine service call.
You walk into the garage and there's water spreading from the water heater. Stay calm — the next ten minutes decide whether this is a nuisance or a disaster. Follow this exact sequence.
Minute 0–2: Stop the Water
Find the cold-water shutoff valve on the pipe entering the top of the heater and turn it clockwise until it stops. No valve, or it's seized? Shut off the home's main water valve instead — usually near the meter or where the line enters the house.
Minute 2–4: Kill the Energy
Electric: switch off the water heater's breaker — never touch a breaker panel while standing in water. Gas: turn the gas control knob to "pilot" or "off." If you smell gas at any point, leave immediately and call the gas company from outside.
Minute 4–6: Relieve Pressure Safely
Open a hot-water faucet somewhere in the house to break the vacuum, then — only if you can do so safely — attach a hose to the drain valve and direct it to a floor drain or outside. Don't open the T&P valve lever unless you know it works; old valves sometimes stick open.
Minute 6–10: Protect and Document
Move belongings away from the water, mop up what you can, and snap photos of the leak location and any damage for insurance. Then call (833) 713-2101 — we answer 24/7 and will talk you through anything you're unsure about.
What NOT to Do
- Don't cap or plug a dripping T&P valve — it's a safety device.
- Don't restore power to a heater that's been flooded or shifted in a storm.
- Don't assume a small drip can wait weeks — in Florida humidity, slow leaks breed mold fast.
Need Help With a Leak Right Now?
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