Condensation issue on 8-year old Giant water heater

[AndyfromQuebec]

Noticed some dried rusty water streaks on the outside of my 8-year old Giant hot water heater (172ETE), a Canadian-brand that used to be revered for its products longevity. The streaks were coming from the upper access panel, so I opened it up to find the batt insulation underneath sopping wet. There was condensation underneath the plastic vapor barrier in the upper right. This area appears to not have been insulated properly.

Water had accumulated at the bottom against the foam and appears to have seeped below to the bottom access panel where visible rust is present and flaking.

Since I've removed the panels and let things dry out, the condensation has pretty much stopped. My questions is would the gap of insulation be the cause of the condensation. I guess it could be leaking from the inside, but we have soft lake water here and the last model that we had here from Giant lasted 25 years! Tech support has pretty much washed its hands on me since it is outside warranty. I'm likely going to have to replace since that rusty spot on the bottom has a mild softness to it.

 

[Terry]

Condensation is from cold water. The cold goes into the inlet at the right, into a dip tube that disperses at the bottom of the tank. I'm thinking that any condensation is coming higher than that, at the cold water supply going to the water heater and dripping it's way down.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[AndyfromQuebec]

Thanks for the prompt reply. No condensation on the pipe itself. And since I let things dry out, there is no longer any sign of moisture. I haven't put the small insulation blankets back in and I let the access panels loosely screwed.

This is a 72 US gallon tank which does get a lot of use. We've never run out of hot water, but we do fill a large tub that takes 60 US gallons. Also, the incoming water temperature can get cold since it is lake water. I'm wondering if over the years and depending on the season if condensation could have formed and got trapped by the vapor barrier and foam insulation.

 

[Jadnashua]

It's more likely that you have a small leak. This time of year, the relative humidity isn't generally very high, so even if the WH did fill up with cold water, you might not see much. Normally, around the tank, with the water temperature at least warm, condensation doesn't occur. It's possible, but not likely.