My water heater decided to quit on a Tuesday morning in Decatur

I was in the basement (well, the crawlspace really) checking on a weird noise when I saw a small puddle under the old 40-gallon unit. It was a slow drip from the pressure relief valve, but the tank was over 12 years old. I called a local plumber from East Atlanta, and he confirmed it was on its last legs. The whole replacement, including haul-away, cost me $1,200 and took about 4 hours. Has anyone else had to deal with a surprise water heater failure, and what did that run you?

2 comments

2 Comments

emeryp231mo ago

That pressure relief valve drip is the tank telling you its internal lining is shot. My neighbor in Kirkwood ignored a similar leak, and it turned into a full basement flood when the bottom finally rusted out. The bucket method just buys time for a much bigger mess.

kelly7141mo ago

Wait, a slow drip means it's totally done? (I'd probably just put a bucket under it and ignore it for a year, honestly.)