Water heater and drain repair in Rhawnhurst, Philadelphia
Puddle by the water heater, and no idea where it came from? We trace water on a Rhawnhurst basement floor to its source, whether that is a leaking tank, a relief valve doing its job or a floor drain pushing water back up, and fix the right thing.
- Heater, relief valve, drain pan and floor drain checked in one visit
- Repair or replacement explained with the reason for each
Is it the water heater or the drain in your Rhawnhurst basement?
In a Rhawnhurst basement, water near the heater can come from three places: the tank itself, the relief valve discharge, or a floor drain backing up nearby. Clean water dripping from the relief pipe points at pressure or temperature. Water seeping from the tank base means the tank is failing. Dirty water rising from the drain is a sewer problem and a different repair.
Rhawnhurst sits along Roosevelt Boulevard in Northeast Philadelphia, with Bustleton Avenue and Castor Avenue running through it, a short drive south of our office on Huntingdon Pike.
Calls here often start the same way: someone goes downstairs and finds a wet floor near the heater. In many basements the heater stands a few steps from a floor drain, so the first job is working out which one is wet and why. A tank that leaks from its body gets replaced. A drain that pushes water up needs the line beyond it cleared, and sometimes the main sewer cleaned out toward the street.
Combined sewers and the basement floor drain
About 60 percent of Philadelphia is served by combined sewers, where sewage and stormwater share one pipe. In a heavy storm those sewers can run full, and the lowest opening in a house, often the basement floor drain, is where the water tries to come back in. That is worth knowing before blaming the heater for water that showed up during a downpour.
The heater side has its own pattern. A tank with its relief pipe aimed at the floor drain will send water there whenever the relief valve opens. If that drain is slow, the water spreads across the floor and looks exactly like a tank leak, so we check both before recommending anything.
Plumbing jobs we handle in Rhawnhurst
Once we know where the water is coming from, Rhawnhurst calls turn into one of these jobs.
Water Heater Repair
A relief valve that drips after every heating cycle, or a pilot that will not stay lit, is usually a part, not a new tank.
Water Heater Replacement
Rust in the hot water and a wet ring at the base mean the lining has failed and the tank is done.
Water Heater Maintenance
Flushing sediment and checking the anode rod keeps a tank quieter and slows the rust that ends its life.
Drain Cleaning
A floor drain that cannot keep up with a relief discharge or a washer pump needs its line cleared.
Main Sewer Line Cleaning
When the floor drain backs up during a storm or after laundry, the blockage is often in the main toward the street.
Leak Detection
Some wet floors start at a supply line inside a wall or ceiling, and we trace those before opening anything.
That pipe is the discharge from the temperature and pressure relief valve. It opens when the tank gets too hot or the pressure climbs, often because a thermal expansion tank is missing or has failed. A valve that drips constantly can also be worn out. Either way, never cap that pipe.
Leaks from fittings, the drain valve or the relief valve usually can. Water coming from the tank shell or the bottom seam cannot, because the steel inside has rusted through. At that point, shut off the water and the gas or power and plan a replacement.
Stop running water anywhere in the house, including the washer and dishwasher, so you are not adding to it. Leave cleanout caps alone while water is standing behind them. Then call and we will clear the line and find out why it blocked.
Once a year is the usual recommendation, more often where the water is hard. Flushing clears sediment from the bottom of the tank, which quiets the rumbling and helps the burner or elements heat efficiently. Our heater maintenance visit handles it if you would rather not drain the tank yourself.
Wet floor by the heater?
If water is coming from the tank, close the cold supply valve above it, then call. We answer day or night and will help you sort out what is leaking.