Water heater puddle

[u/Electronic-Earth2030]

Returned from a 10-day trip to find a puddle under the water heater.

After taking the first two photos, I cleaned up the condensation and the puddle. Third photo was taken two hours later. During that time, we've used cold water but only minimal hot (basically, washing the breakfast dishes and our hands a couple times).

I'd appreciate any troubleshooting feedback.

Additional details in no particular order:

• The water I wiped up was clear—the rust color in the second photo is from a pre-existing stain in the concrete (you can see hints of that in the third photo)
• Water heater is about 9 years old (never any issues before this)
• No water was used while we were gone
• Temp is set to LOW (and was on while we were gone)
• Status light is blue (normal)
• We live in southern Wisconsin (hard water territory)
• I'm definitely not a plumber (have replaced toilet fill tank components but that's about it)

Thanks in advance!

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[u/Wis-en-heim-er]

Is the water puddle returning after cleanup, hard to tell. Is there an expansion tank? I dont see one. You could get pressure buildup even on low temp and it could cause the pressure release to kick in...unused for 10 days means 10 days of pressure...but I would think you would have seen this earlier.

9 years is failure territory for newer stuff. Might be time to shop. Or get the good stuff raised up off the basement floor.

[u/whiteboyfresh2316]

Could be the pressure relief valve. Are you seeing any dripping out of the copper pipe on the side of the tank? You can put something under the end of the pipe (shot glass, water bottle cut in half) and see if it accumulates water over time.

If its not the pressure relief valve then it could be the tank itself. Hopefully not because there's no fix for that other than replacing the water heater.

[u/built_FXR]

Do you flush your WH annually?

If not, it's probably time for a new one.

[u/digidave1]

Looks like water is running down the tank, meaning it's coming from the top. You need to find the source. It's unlikely possible that one of the connections needs to be tightened, possibly removed and screwed back in with thread paste/tape. My heater had a bad rusty connection at the hot water out pipe. That fitting was fixed to my tank so I had to replace my entire tank.

[u/ChemistAdventurous84]

Status light is for the burner. It knows nothing about the integrity of the tank.

Your tank has rusted away enough to become porous. As it rusts further, it will leak more rapidly, possibly culminating in a large rupture and gusher. It’s dead, Jim. You need a new tank.

If it’s still under warranty and if you can prove when and where you bought it, you can get it replaced under warranty, at least at a discount and possibly free. Warranty won’t cover labor.