Can I Take a Shower If My Water Heater Is Leaking?

Don’t Risk It – Here’s why

Don’t take a shower if you spot any sign of water leaking from your water heater, the problem should be investigated immediately to identify exactly where the water is leaking from.

Always Safety First

If you cannot identify where the leak is coming from then contact a registered plumber and request an emergency appointment to resolve the issue. Even if it is just a small leak of water this still has the potential to quickly worsen and could lead to flooding, causing a lot of damage.

Damage Limitation

To help prevent damage being caused by the water leak or to start damage limitation then:

• Turn off the water supply to the Water Heater.
• If it’s an electric water heater then turn off the electric supply to the water heater at the breaker.
• If it’s a gas water heater then turn off the gas supply that goes to the heater and also the electric supply that the water heater uses too.
• If you know where the drain valve is on the water heater, (lowest point on the tank body) then attach a hose to it, open the valve and drain out the water from the tank to a drain. This will empty the tank and prevent further water from leaking out.

Electric Water Heater System

We all know that water and electricity don’t mix, so if water gets into anything electrical then it can become a very dangerous situation.

Don’t Rely On Your Electric Circuit Breaker

People may say that the breaker will turn off if there is a fault, but when was the last time you had those circuit breakers tested for safety?

You can’t be absolutely sure that the circuit breaker will do what it is supposed to do in the event of a fault. So don’t risk it.

Gas Water Heater System

What may start out as just a small leak can quickly develop into a big problem very quickly with this type of water heater system.

Could Cause A Gas Leak

If you don’t act fast and deal with water leaking from a gas water heater it could become potentially very dangerous.

You must remember that even though the water heater is supplied by gas it will still have an electrical supply going into the water heater to supply power to the control circuits.

The worst-case scenario is that the water causes the pilot light to go out and a failure of the gas valve to shut resulting in gas leaking out from the water heater which could have devastating consequences.

Better To Be Safe Than Sorry

So if you ever see any signs of water leaking out from a water heater and you are wondering if you can still take a shower? Then just think about the points that have just been highlighted and don’t risk it.