Although these are the two most common causes of a leaking water heater they are not always the culprits.
Water heater pilot tube leaking.
Below is a list of the four most probable causes of a leak in your water heater.
Locate the pilot tube.
If there is insulation around the supply tubes remove it so you can inspect and replace the tubes if necessary.
Your water heater tank should have a dedicated shutoff valve on the cold inlet pipes.
Water is leaking from my hot water heater in the attic into the bathroom below.
A layer of dirt and grime can hinder the electric current from reaching the thermocouple.
If this is a gate style valve a wheel that turns turn the valve clockwise as far as you can.
I m not sure of the ratio but you want it the consistency to be somewhat thicker than water maybe 1 cup water and one table spoon dish soap.
Turn off the water.
Combine in a container and gently swish around until it is evenly distributed.
Disconnect the bracket holding both tubes to the gas valve using a.
You can use a mixture of water and dish soap to discover where it is leaking.
To reattach the three lines to the gas valve thread the nuts into place with your fingers and hand tighten them.
The metals are soft so don t over tighten.
The most likely scenario in this case is that sediment has built up and corroded the bottom of the tank causing a serious problem and the need for an entirely new water heater.
If you experience a leaking water heater it is recommended to turn off the water to your tank.
It is one of two small tubes connected to the automatic gas valve.
How to light a gas water heater pilot light duration.
If the leak is coming from the bottom of the tank it is not looking good for you.
As best as i can tell the water is leaking through the pilot tube.
At first before i knew the name of the pilot tube i figured it was to feed water to the temperature control system to regulate water temperature.
What to do with a leaking water heater step 1.
It acts as a safety device to prevent gas leaks.
When relit the water heater pilot light flame should wrap around the thermocouple bulb.
The other is the thermocouple tube.
Then snug them up with a quarter to half revolution with a wrench.
Flexible water supply tubes are the most common cause of leaks above the water heater since it is common for these tubes to fail long before the water heater is ready for replacement.