Water Heater Leak Repair in Tustin

Close the cold-water valve on the line above the heater, turn a gas heater's control to pilot or off or switch an electric heater's breaker off, and call. Water from the bottom is either the drain valve, the relief valve's discharge, or the tank itself. The first two are repairs; a leak from the tank body is a replacement.

Not from that heater, once you have shut its cold-water valve — and you should shut it, because every gallon drawn refills a tank that is leaking. Cold water elsewhere in the house is unaffected, because the valve above the heater isolates only the heater.

On a gas tank, a pilot that has gone out, usually because the thermocouple that keeps the gas valve open has failed. On an electric tank, a burned-out heating element or a tripped high-limit switch. On a tankless unit, an ignition fault or a clogged inlet filter. Before any of those, two checks that cost nothing: run a cold tap to make sure the problem is the hot side only, and make sure the valve on the cold line above the heater is fully open. A thermocouple or element repair is typically at the low end of the estimated $150 to $450 repair range.

Yes, in Tustin. The City of Tustin's Building Division lists replacements and change-outs of plumbing and mechanical systems among the work that requires a permit, and a water heater is both. Separately, California law requires every new or replacement water heater to be braced, anchored or strapped against earthquake movement, and the codes call for at least two straps. Both are part of the job, and both belong on the written quote rather than being added afterward. A repair that keeps the existing heater in place is a different matter.