Garage Floods from leaking water heater
- Thread starter ofuzzy1
- Start date
Ofuzzy--what a bummer! Hope you dry out soon. Have you tried pricing a water heater at the chain hardware stores? I got a 40 gallon natural gas one for about $225.
About 2 years ago I read that a water heater has an average life expectancy of 6 years. So I do some math. The heater was here when we arrived and not new. We had lived here 13 years at the time. That means we had exceeded any sensible life expectancy. So we replaced it as a precaution. Glad I did, as a basement full of water is a real pain--as you are learning in your garage. We also have a drain near the water heater so that if anything does happen we have some protection.
So all of you who think it won't happen to you-- do your own math. Prevention s way cheaper than reaction.
About 2 years ago I read that a water heater has an average life expectancy of 6 years. So I do some math. The heater was here when we arrived and not new. We had lived here 13 years at the time. That means we had exceeded any sensible life expectancy. So we replaced it as a precaution. Glad I did, as a basement full of water is a real pain--as you are learning in your garage. We also have a drain near the water heater so that if anything does happen we have some protection.
So all of you who think it won't happen to you-- do your own math. Prevention s way cheaper than reaction.
dirtdigger
Inactive
Hot Water Heater
Yep! Been there, done that. Hot water heaters have a shelf life.....stated on the front of the heater.....if not on the papers that come with them. Attach the papers to the hot water heater and keep the expiration date in mind. When the date runs out get a new one. There is nothing any worse than to wake up to a basement or room full of water.
Even worse......go away for a week and come back to the situation.
Yep! Been there, done that. Hot water heaters have a shelf life.....stated on the front of the heater.....if not on the papers that come with them. Attach the papers to the hot water heater and keep the expiration date in mind. When the date runs out get a new one. There is nothing any worse than to wake up to a basement or room full of water.
Even worse......go away for a week and come back to the situation. 
fairbanksb
Freedom Isn't Free
That sucks. Happened to us also. Brand new home and the water heater was busted as installed. When the water was turned on it leaked from where the water heater was, in the garage, under the wall and into our master bath. Soggy, brand new carpet is no fun.
Also had one of the hoses attached to the washing machine burst. Luckily we were home when it happened and the damage was minimal. If it would have happened when we were out, our furniture would have been floating.
Also had one of the hoses attached to the washing machine burst. Luckily we were home when it happened and the damage was minimal. If it would have happened when we were out, our furniture would have been floating.
Wear gloves!
Had similar incident, flood from exploded water pressure tank without a relief valve. Flooded that room and into two other rooms.
TORE up our hands sopping up with towels, ringing stuff out, moving wet items. You don't want your hands chapped and bleeding along with the inevitable muscle aches from the cleanout, so please wear gloves!
Had similar incident, flood from exploded water pressure tank without a relief valve. Flooded that room and into two other rooms.
TORE up our hands sopping up with towels, ringing stuff out, moving wet items. You don't want your hands chapped and bleeding along with the inevitable muscle aches from the cleanout, so please wear gloves!
Frangipanni
Veteran Member
So sorry Friend. BTDT and yes we now watch the "shelf" life of the water heater like a hawk!
idelphic
Inactive
It's something that everyone will most likely deal with at some point in time.
My grandfather had a weekend cabin on the river in VA. The tank leaked,.. not much,.. but it did leak. He 'cheated' on replacing it for years - the water pump and the power to the water heater was only on when it was used. The slope in the garage allowed it to drain away for the walls. So it was like this for about 10 years. Think it was finally replaced.
The house my dad was in had the tank split in the middle of the night in the basement. We had two inches of water in the basement, out the door, and across the drive way... My dad was a interior space planner,.. so lots of drawings. He didn't have a proper way to store the old drawings,.. so a lot of things got drowned.
And just recently my FIL had their tank go. But the house is pushing 15 years,.. so it's sort of time for things to start going... Oh,.. and then the line between the wall and the toliet went. That was a bigger mess as no one was home when it happened. The bathroom AND the basement got that..
I remember as a pre teen,.. the house we had used copper pipes, the norm for the time. Because we used well water, the water ate the copper in places. We had some pin holes develop.
When we moved into our new house,.. I got the braided washer lines. I wanted that extra safety layer. All my supply lines are copper,.. and nothing should freeze either... Oh that's a rat too.. have a two inch split in a supply line after it freezes... been there done that,.. That's a long story into itself.
My grandfather had a weekend cabin on the river in VA. The tank leaked,.. not much,.. but it did leak. He 'cheated' on replacing it for years - the water pump and the power to the water heater was only on when it was used. The slope in the garage allowed it to drain away for the walls. So it was like this for about 10 years. Think it was finally replaced.
The house my dad was in had the tank split in the middle of the night in the basement. We had two inches of water in the basement, out the door, and across the drive way... My dad was a interior space planner,.. so lots of drawings. He didn't have a proper way to store the old drawings,.. so a lot of things got drowned.
And just recently my FIL had their tank go. But the house is pushing 15 years,.. so it's sort of time for things to start going... Oh,.. and then the line between the wall and the toliet went. That was a bigger mess as no one was home when it happened. The bathroom AND the basement got that..
I remember as a pre teen,.. the house we had used copper pipes, the norm for the time. Because we used well water, the water ate the copper in places. We had some pin holes develop.
When we moved into our new house,.. I got the braided washer lines. I wanted that extra safety layer. All my supply lines are copper,.. and nothing should freeze either... Oh that's a rat too.. have a two inch split in a supply line after it freezes... been there done that,.. That's a long story into itself.
The Marathon Water Heater.
http://www.marathonheaters.com/marathon_water_heater.html
I'm saving change for one of these, check out the warranty. I believe it is electric only, but very energy efficient.
http://www.marathonheaters.com/marathon_water_heater.html
I'm saving change for one of these, check out the warranty. I believe it is electric only, but very energy efficient.
Worrier King
Deceased
dirtdigger said:Yep! Been there, done that. Hot water heaters have a shelf life.....stated on the front of the heater.....if not on the papers that come with them. Attach the papers to the hot water heater and keep the expiration date in mind. When the date runs out get a new one. There is nothing any worse than to wake up to a basement or room full of water.
Same here, but over the years not once but friggin TWICE I've come back from a vacation to find a flooded basement. Once was right after I remodeled and had put new carpet in.
I seriously need to consider replacing our current one.
Whenever I watched a relatives house when they went away on vacation I learned something very helpful. They shut off the water to the toilets and to the washing machine. Now I am thinking if I were to be gone a long time it might be smart to turn off the pilot to the water heater and just shut it down. That way your mess is limited to what the water heater held.
Thank god it was the garage and not the house.
I thought with a proper relief valve and drain to the outside, they are less of a risk of flooding? We tore out our NG tank that was improperly vented and got a 15 yr -3" foam insulated energy efficient Whirlpool for $300 at lowes. It's programmable too.
We installed a water heater pan and pvc piping from the overflow to outside.
We also installed a 24hr timer and have seen minimal increase in our electric bills.
I thought with a proper relief valve and drain to the outside, they are less of a risk of flooding? We tore out our NG tank that was improperly vented and got a 15 yr -3" foam insulated energy efficient Whirlpool for $300 at lowes. It's programmable too.
We installed a water heater pan and pvc piping from the overflow to outside.
We also installed a 24hr timer and have seen minimal increase in our electric bills.