Find the cold water inlet valve.
Electric water heater leaking from top.
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.
One of the most common reasons your hot water heater may be leaking at the top could be due.
The next step is to shut off the water supply to the tank.
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.
Two places it may be leaking from include.
If you suspect that you have a leak from the top turn off the power to your water heater.
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.
Leaks from the top of the water heater are usually caused by one of the three connections at the top as shown in the diagram below.
The valve is usually a lever or a knob type valve.
2 connection that generates cold water.
A leak that is originating from the top of a water heater if caught in a timely manner is almost always repairable.
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.
Sometimes valves in these overhead pipes can begin to secrete water and of course gravity brings it down.
To do this locate the cold water shut off valve on the pipe.
It s on the cold water pipe which supplies water to the water heater.
In most cases when a water heater is leaking from the top it s usually pretty easy to pinpoint to leak.
1 connection that generates hot water.
Check the plumbing pipes above the water heater using a stepladder if necessary.
3 connection that releases pressure.
For a gas water heater turn the thermostat control to the off position.
Your pipe fittings are loose.
If the leak is just a few drops then you can wait a day or two and see if the leak continues.
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.
Now take a garden hose and attach it securely to.
Another reason your hot water heater may be leaking at the top could be because.
The first place to check is the plumbing pipes above the water heater.
Sometimes the pressure relief valve will leak if it was opened for the very first time.
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.