Water Leaks: Prevent Them Before They Happen

Eventually a tankless water heater will leak just like any water heater and cause just as big a mess. We have solutions to keep water heaters from flooding your home.  In fact, my WaterCop alerted me our water heater was leaking and automatically shut the water off, saving me potentially thousands of dollars of water damage to my basement. 

We have solutions to keep any fixture from flooding your home by automatically turning your water off and even tie into your homes alarm system to alert you of a water leak when you’re away.  But you have to be pro-active and want the protection.  I can’t beat you over the head and make you get it.

It’s interesting how people will buy alarm systems to keep their homes from being robbed, but could care less whether their home is flooded from a burst pipe, ruptured water heater, faulty valve, worn out toilet tank bolts, etc. that can equally cause thousands of dollars of damage.

Automatic shut off devices to protect your home from flooding are far less expensive than burglar alarm systems.  A friend of mine sells burglar alarm systems.  Come to think of it, he told me one time that a high percentage of his clients hire him AFTER they’ve been robbed.  Don’t wait until your home floods to get protection.  It’s simple.  It’s fast.  It’s inexpensive.  Get protection now before the flood.  Sounds like something Noah would say. No one listened to him either.

How old is my Water Heater?

Few ever think of their water heater until it starts leaking. There are two dangers with this way of living:

1. Water heater leaks usually cause a huge mess, damage floors, walls and all your important stuff you've stored in boxes in the general location of your water heater; this damage costs a lot of money to clean up, and permanent loss of personal property.
2. You're now out of hot water until you get your water heater replaced. This causes you to just get a new one fast without giving any thought to quality, length of warranty, type of water heater, present and future needs, energy conservation and cost.

So what's the solution?


First, find out how old your water heater is. Get a flashlight and glasses if you need them.  Look on the front of the water heater and you'll find a label with the serial number, model number, gallon capacity, etc. Find the serial number. The first 2 digits will tell you the month and the next 2 digits will tell you the year it was made. For example, if the serial number is:119237485-b, the first 2 digits signify November and the next 2 signify 1992, so it was made in November, 1992. If you're still not sure you can call the manufacturer (brand name) of the water heater. There will be a phone number on the water heater so you can call them. Give them the serial number and they will tell you when it was made.


Next, if it is over 12 years old, start doing research now to figure out what kind of water heater you would like to replace it with. Call around see what's available. Check on prices. If you want something special, it will most likely have to be ordered, so you won't want to wait until your current one starts leaking. Be proactive.


If your water heater is over 15 years old, it's now time to do something about it. You know how these things go. Your water heater will go when you go out of town, and you'll come back to a flood and the mess I described above.


Call me if you live in the Atlanta, GA area and I'll give you lots of useful, free advice.
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