Water Heater Leaking in Ottawa

Shut off the heat and the water first. Turn off the breaker for an electric tank or the gas valve on a gas tank, then close the cold water valve on the pipe into the tank. A rented tank is the rental company's call; for a tank you own, call one of the plumbers in Ottawa.

If you smell rotten eggs near a gas tank, skip all of that. Enbridge Gas says to leave the house and call 1-866-763-5427 or 911 once you are outside.

What to do in the first hour

Work through these in order. They come from the maker's and the rental companies' own instructions, cited at the end.

1. Any gas smell: get out, leave the door open behind you, and call Enbridge Gas from outside. Do not use switches or phones in the house.
2. Turn off the heat. On an electric tank, switch off its breaker. On a gas tank, turn the manual gas shut-off valve on the supply pipe to off.
3. Close the cold water inlet valve, on the pipe that feeds the top of the tank. That stops water going in.
4. Clear the floor drain. Enercare asks renters to keep the drain near the tank open, and says it will not be responsible for damage if it is not.
5. Photograph the tank, the water and anything wet before you mop up.
6. Call the rental company, or a plumber if the tank is yours.

Two things to leave alone. Enercare says never to relight the pilot on a rental tank yourself. And GSW's manual says that if water has reached an electric tank's wiring, thermostats or insulation, it stays off until a qualified person has inspected it.

What is leaking: a valve, a fitting or the tank

Water beside a tank is not always coming from the tank. GSW Water Heaters Canada lists seven sources of water on the floor or in the drain pan:

• condensation
• the drain valve near the bottom
• the temperature and pressure relief valve, or its discharge pipe
• the piping at the inlet and outlet on top
• the threaded connection at the gas valve (gas tanks)
• the gaskets on the heating elements (electric tanks)
• the tank itself

GSW's manual adds that leaks are frequently in the house's plumbing rather than the heater. Dry the tank, the pipes and the floor with a towel, then watch where the first drop forms. That one look decides most of what happens next.

Water from the pipe on the side

The pipe running down the side of the tank is the relief valve's discharge pipe. Water there usually means the valve is opening on pressure. GSW names the common cause as thermal expansion: heated water takes up more room, and in a closed system the pressure climbs.

GSW's fix is to control the pressure first, with a thermal expansion tank on the cold line and a pressure reducing valve where supply pressure runs above 80 psi, and only then replace a valve that still drips. Never cap or plug that valve or its pipe. GSW warns a blocked one can let the tank explode.

Drops on a new or refilled tank

Condensation shows up after a long draw of hot water or while a tank refills, and GSW says it should stop once the water inside is back above 110 °F, about 43 °C. If the drops stop once the tank is hot again, that was all it was.

Water from the tank itself

A drain valve that keeps dripping with its handle closed is a replacement part, by GSW's account. A wet base with dry fittings above it is worse. GSW says every tank will eventually leak from the normal corrosive action of water, and its troubleshooting table is blunt: if the tank is leaking, replace the unit.

Why a small leak should not wait

Reliance Home Comfort says even a small puddle is worth investigating, because minor leaks lead to water damage over time. GSW's manual puts it more sharply for electric tanks: a leak can damage property and could cause a fire risk.

The insurance side points the same way. The Insurance Bureau of Canada, the insurers' industry association, says water damage cover usually includes the sudden and accidental escape of water from a domestic appliance. Gradual deterioration is not an insured peril, because a policy "is not a maintenance contract".

So report a leak when you find it, not after a season of drips. If water has already done damage, IBC's claim steps apply: report it as soon as possible, take photos, confirm with the insurer before throwing anything out, keep every clean-up receipt, and limit further damage.

Rented or owned: who you call

A rented tank is not yours to repair. If you are not sure whether you rent, check your monthly bills and your rental agreement for a water heater charge before you call anyone else.

A rented tank

Enercare's instruction to its renters is direct: if water is leaking from the unit, call Enercare for service, and it says service can be booked 24 hours a day. Reliance says virtually everything is included in its rental programme, with live phone support around the clock.

Book the repair through the company that owns the tank. If the leak has you thinking about buying the tank out or ending the rental, our guide to Enercare water heater buyouts and tank rental in Ottawa reads the buyout tables and the contracts.

A tank you own

Call a plumber for the water side: valves, fittings and replacing the tank. Plumbing is one of Ontario's compulsory trades, so you can look a plumber up on Skilled Trades Ontario's Public Register. A plumber with a valid Quebec certificate is exempt and will not appear there, so ask a Gatineau plumber for that certificate instead.

A gas tank needs a gas certificate for anything on its gas side. Ontario's O. Reg. 212/01 says no one may install, repair, service or remove a gas appliance without one, and TSSA says fuel-fired appliances must be maintained by TSSA-registered contractors. Ask whether the technician coming holds the gas certificate before you book.

How a replacement works in Ottawa

Replacing a failed tank you own comes down to four checks:

• No building permit. "Replacing an existing hot water tank" is on the City of Ottawa's list of projects that do not need one.
• The installer for a gas tank must hold the gas certificate, and the company the TSSA registration.
• Ask whether the quote includes an expansion tank and a pressure check, the two things GSW says stop a new relief valve dripping like the old one.
• Ask whether the price includes taking the old tank away.

For what the work costs, our guide to what plumbers charge in Ottawa sets out the repair and installed tank prices Ottawa plumbers publish, with each publisher named.

One warning from TSSA: door-to-door water heater sales are restricted in Ontario unless you asked for the visit, and TSSA staff will not contact you first. Choose who replaces the tank yourself, not from a knock at the door.

If the leak is fast and the valves will not hold, treat it as a burst pipe. Our guide to an emergency plumber in Ottawa covers the main shut-off and the first ten minutes.