Water heater leaking from plastic ring on top, not expansion valve

[Rene J Neyrey]

Hi all. This 20 gallon A O Smith water heater started leaking like crazy from the top. I assumed bad expansion valve and installed a new one. I think I was wrong. I turned the water supply back on and it's leaking from under this plastic ring around the hole where the expansion valve is. Here's a picture. That 1 inch section of the ring is not adhering and that's where the water is coming out. The rest of the ring adheres and is bonded tightly to the top. What do I do now? Thanks all.

 

[Terry]

How old is the tank?
The outer wrapper does nothing to contain any water. If the tank has rusted through, it done.
The serial number will give you the age of the tank. Most last between 10 and 20 years.
The valve you replaced is a T&P valve.
Temperature and Pressure Relief.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Rene J Neyrey]

Serial # is 1103J005182. I think it's about 10 yrs old. Sorry I mis-stated the T&P valve. Should I take that ring off to see if it's rusted through? Or, just presume it is rusted through and replace the whole thing?

 

[Kreemoweet]

The connection for the discharge pipe from the T&P valve sure looks cross-threaded to me. I think those plastic
rings are purely cosmetic: it saves the manufacturer the expense of finishing the edge of the sheet metal opening.
I'd bet dollars to donuts that if you stuck a q-tip down the opening next to the T&P valve, it would come up
soaking wet. You might want to try reinstalling the valve again with a little more tape/torque to see if you get it
to stop leaking. It would be unusual for a rusted-through tank to start leaking out the top, and nowhere else.

 

[Terry]

2011 is pretty new. You may have a bad connection somewhere on that.

 

[Rene J Neyrey]

I checked with the qtip, no moisture at the screw joint. I popped the plastic ring off with a flat head and all I see around the base of the T&P is rust. The only thing I can think to do know is turn the water back on and see if I can see where the water is coming from in the hole around the T&P valve.

 

[Reach4]

he connection for the discharge pipe from the T&P valve sure looks cross-threaded to me.

Good catch.

The odds of water collecting under there for some other reason would seem like too much of a coincidence. It could be that is where the leak happens only when the pressure rises to 130 psi.

Rene, turn on the water but not the power initially. Watch for leaks. Then with all water use stopped, turn on the power. Watch that same area as the water heats.

 

[hj]

1103 November 2003 FIFTEEN years ago. The tank is shot.

 

[Rene J Neyrey]

I have pronounced it dead. When I turn on the water, the vacant area around the base of the T&P valve fills with water. It's not coming from the bottom of the T&P valve junction, it's coming in from all around. Here's pictures of the south and north side of the hole. Rust. Tanks alot.

 

[Dj2]

The thread is ruined and you have no choise but replacing the WH.