Understanding Water Heater Drain Valve Leaks

Drain valves are a ubiquitous feature on water heaters. Their purpose is to make draining the tank--whether to relieve excess pressure, or simply in order to maintain the interior of the tank--as simple as twisting open a sink faucet. Yet drain valves are subject to one common problem: leaks. If you would like to learn more about keeping your water heater free from this problem, read on. This article will teach you how to diagnose and repair a leaking drain valve.

Leak Basics

Drain valve leaks most commonly crop up in the days following a water heater flush. Often the cause of the problem is simply that the drain was not closed up again tightly enough. Thus you may be able to eliminate the problem simply by twisting the valve shut more tightly. If this does not solve the problem, it may be the case that components inside of the valve have become damaged or degraded.

Alternately, it is possible that the cause of the leak is build-up inside of the valve. This is usually the result of mineral deposits inside of the tank--the very same deposits that the tank draining was meant to flush out. Here the problem is that the minerals prevent the valve from forming a water tight seal.

Solving The Problem

The first thing you should do--if you haven't already--is to try tightening up the drain valve to see if this prevents the leak. If your even your most strenuous tightening efforts remain in vain, it will be necessary to move on to more advanced tactics. Your first step will need to be to turn off the power to the appliance, and then allowing the water inside of the tank to cool off for several hours.

Now grab a bucket and place it beneath the drain valve. Twist the valve open for a second, then shut it back off. The idea here is that you are attempting to flush out any mineral deposits that may be sitting inside of the valve and preventing it from closing entirely. Try this approach several times to see if it proves effective at eliminating the leak.

If your valve continues to drip and dribble, chances are the problem has to do with faulty internal components. Generally this involves rubber washers that have begun to crumble and corrode. Those with brass drain valves may be able to replace the bad washers. Those with plastic valves, on the other hand, will likely need to replace the entire thing. Fortunately, such drain valves are fairly inexpensive components.

For more information you will want to contact a company such as Rickett Industrial Environmental Systems.