Water Heaters - water everywhere!!

i just went into the garage and there is water all over. the pan under the water heater hardly has any water in it. where did it come from and why??
my husband thinks it came from the relief valve. is that a sign we need a new heater?

Relief valves serve 2 purposes. One is to allow excess pressure to escape. Number two is if the heater gets too hot it opens to allow overheated water to escape.
This could be a problem with your water heater or just a bad temp/pressure relief valve. If it is a heater problem, it should be evident in your water temperature or pressure when using the hot water.
You can replace the relief valve by turning off the water supply and whatever type power (gas or electric) and opening a hot faucet close to the heater. Drain down the tank to below the valve and unscrew it to remove. Use the reverse procedure to install the new one. Monitor your water pressure and temp to make sure it is the relief valve. Good luck.

Exactly where does the piping from your relief valve lead? Why is there no water in the pan ? Find where this water is coming from ; it may not be related to the WH.

well, first off, the relief valve doesn't have piping. oops! and i realized the pan has drain holes in the side. it did have a little water. we decided to just change out the heater since it was a little over 6 years old. and we have pretty hard water here. thanks for your interest. :)