Leak from a Water Heater
One of the most common sources of water leaks that we see are from Hot Water Heaters.
In the picture above, the Pressure Relief Valve (PRV) on the water heater malfunctioned. Typically, if the water heater is installed correctly, the PRV is connected to PVC pipe so that in case of failure, PRV leaks are plumbed away from the home, piped to channel an water spillage for proper disposal down a drain.
In this particular case, the water heater was not installed correctly. When the PRV failed, hot water started gushing out from the PRV. The water then completely soaked the base frame the water heater was resting on, and the water made its way:
- Up the drywall in the garage (common insulated wall between one of the garages and the formal dining room of the residence), and
- Under the hardwood floors in the pantry and the kitchen.
In this particular water loss, the following picture shows how the water actually made its way under the flooring.
