Where the water comes from decides everything. Your photo decides how urgent yours is.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · AR Logic LLC · 3 sources
Snap a photo — see what it is, how urgent, who to call. One photo of the problem. fixRAgent reads it and gives you a Triage Profile.
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A pool of water around the tank is urgent, and an emergency if it is spreading, reaching outlets or the panel, or coming through a ceiling. Turn off the cold-water valve on top of the heater and its power (breaker) or gas (valve to “off” or “pilot”). If you smell gas, leave and call the gas company or 911 from outside.
Where the water comes from decides everything. A leak from a pipe fitting on top, the drain valve at the bottom or the relief-valve pipe can usually be repaired; water seeping from the tank itself, or a rusty wet base with no other source, means the tank has corroded through and the heater needs replacing. Either way, turn off the cold-water supply valve and the heater’s power or gas first.
Close the cold-water inlet valve on top of the heater. Switch off the breaker (electric) or turn the gas control to “off” or “pilot” (gas).
A drip from the drain spout may just be a valve not closed fully; a leak where it threads into the tank is the fitting [2].
Water on top of the tank usually comes from the inlet or outlet connections, the anode fitting or the relief valve threads, and runs down the side [2]. Rust around the top is a sign it has been happening for a while.
A gas heater can drip condensation on first firing with cold incoming water; it stops as the tank warms. A steady puddle is not condensation.
If none of the above is wet and water appears under the tank, the tank has leaked from inside. It cannot be repaired; the heater has to be replaced.
Call a plumber if the tank itself is leaking, the relief valve keeps discharging, or you cannot stop the water with the cold-inlet valve.
EMERGENCYA substantial pool of water around the base of the tank — an active, continuous leak.
Photo from a building we own. Read by fixRAgent on 30 Sep 2026; 3 of 3 independent reads agreed.
Open this Triage Profile ›
TODAYRust and debris around the flue connection and draft diverter; a latent venting concern, no active life-safety emergency.
Photo from a building we own. Read by fixRAgent on 30 Sep 2026; 3 of 3 independent reads agreed.
Open this Triage Profile ›For the Triage Profile, photograph the whole heater from the floor up with the puddle in view, then close-ups of the top fittings and the relief-valve pipe. One clear photo in good light is enough; the Triage Profile says what it is, how urgent it is (emergency, today, this week or whenever), and which trade to call.
Usually a loose or corroded inlet or outlet fitting, the anode fitting or the relief valve threads — not the tank [2].
Only if the leak is from a fitting you have tightened. A leaking tank can fail without warning.
What a property manager should do when a resident reports a leaking water heater: the first message, how urgent, who to send.
The manager’s checklist →Ask AI about this problem
Snap a photo of it. The Triage Profile says what it is, how urgent it is, and who to call.
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Stuck, or something on the Triage Profile looks wrong? Write to support@fixragent.com. A founder reads every message and replies within one business day.
