Water heater failed with water shut off

[Tomdude]

Good Evening - I have a rental that has been vacant since 11/2021. I keep the water shut off to avoid damage in case of a leak or frozen pipe. Today, I went over and found the water heater drain pan had a half inch of water in it. The water heater is a 40 gallon GE electric installed in 2005.

Could the water heater have failed with the water and power turned off ? I keep the water heater breaker switched off to save on the electric bill and the water turned off.

Thanks in advance for any advice. I am a burnt out landlord looking to fix up this shack and sell it.

 

[WorthFlorida]

Sure, it is just a big metal tank with the interior walls of the tank lined with a porcelain finish. 2005, 17 years old it is at its end of life cycle. The leaks usually occur where the fittings are since they are welded. either around the heating elements or pipe fittings.

Is the T&P discharge pipe lead down to the drip pan or to a drain? The water inside the tank was cold (ambient temperature) and the T&P valve may have opened up because of the the expanding heated water. At 150 PSI the T&P valve will open to relieve pressure.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Sylvan]

time to replace it

 

[Jeff H Young]

without seeing it anything possible, sure it makes sence to look around to make sure the tank is the cause of the leak why not?
could be a leak on the water flex as well, or a leak in the roof. but it sounds highly likely to be bad water heater. by all means a minute or 2 inspecting is always a good idea