Water heater leak? Cause?

Bcos17

Wondering if anyone can help me solve this issue? My brother in law has a Bradford White water heater that was installed in 2018. It appears to be rusting out or corroding around the cold and hot water connections. There is also damage around the exhaust which may be due to the same issue/leak. I don't see any leaks above, so I think it's leaking at the union connecting the copper to the nipples. Can anyone identify this type of union? Is it galvanic corrosion? the wrong type of metal or union to be used with copper? I know the only fix is probably to replace the heater, just trying to make sure we understand what is happening so we can prevent it in the future.

Thanks

Big Ed_4

Looks like one of the dielectric unions is leaking ?

EdTheHeaterMan

The leak is small enough to not actually be wet. That means that some moisture is coming thru a fitting and evaporating away. That needs to be taken apart, cleaned, redressed with pipe joint sealer/compound, teflon tape or all of the above. Then re-assembled tight enough to not leak in the future. Then the union must be re-assembled with the proper gaskets.

Once the repairs are completed I would use a wire brush to get rid of as much rust as possible. Then I would put a coat of Rustoleum over those spots. That way if the rust comes back, then you will know that it is not fixed.

Those are the correct unions for connecting copper to the steel tank.

You may also have a venting problem. when the water heater starts hole a smoking cigarette (or Joint) neat the vent hood and see which way the smoke goes. If you do this on a muggy day when there is some light rain happening, is the best time to take that test. (basically we are looking for low barometric pressure for that smoke test). If the smoke blowa away for a fes seconds on start up then swiftly mover inti the draft hood and uo the chimney, then you dont have a venting issue. If however you the smoke does not enter the chimney of is entering the chimney very slow and lazy, then you may have a venting problem.

In either case you may want to have a professional chimney sweep or a professional HVAC or Plumber that understands venting systems do an inspection to be safe.

Bcos17

Thank you Ed. If I shut off the cold valve, and then drain a few buckets out of the water heater, can I safely disassemble those unions and re connect them? Or do I have to drain down the entire water heater?

Larry Weingarten

Hi, I'll add that the leak/s may be under the sheet metal top, either at the pipes or at the weld between flue and tank head. The only way to know is to expose the connections. It would not too hard to expose the pipe connections, but getting to the weld means removing the top, which will be foamed in place. If the screwed pipe connections are leaking, you may be able to redo them and keep the tank going. I'd also check the anode rod to get an idea of the internal condition of the tank.

Yours, Larry

EdTheHeaterMan

Just below the level of the unions. Open some hot and cold water taps so you get that water out of the system.

and you may get some spilling from the pipes above. I would not worry about it. It's only water and it will dry up eventually.

mattmia2

Are we sure it is leaking and it isn't corrosion from the products of combustion because it isn't drafting very well?