Water Heaters - Water Heater Leak

6 year old Rheem 50 gallon gas water heater is leaking from the top at the pressure release valve. It is not leaking through the valve itself. It looks like it is leaking through the threads where the valve screws into the heater, and there is a little rust around the joint.


Should I tighten the existing valve? Or replace the valve? Or is it time for a new heater? Or????


Thanks in advance.

Hello: changro. Welcome to Water Heaters topic and the Do-It-Yourself Web Site.

Turn off the incoming cold water valve above the tank. Open a sink faucet to relieve the water pressure. Than, using a pail beneath the water heaters drin faucet, open that drin/flush faucet and drain out enough water to lower the internal water level to below the pressure valve. Close that faucet fully.

Once that is done, remove the existing PTV (Pressure Temperature Valve) and clean the threads both in the tank and on the valve body. Once around wrap pipe tape and rescrew the valve back into the tank.

Or clean the internal threads in the tank and replace the existing PTV. Use pipe tape or pipe thread compound (Pipe Dope) on the threads. Install the new PTV. Once completed, open the inlet water valve and allow the water to flow out of the opened sink faucet until all the air is removed. Job done...:)

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Thank You for the quick response Sharp Advice.

I followed your instructions and installed a new valve. When I turned the water back on, it leaked again. On more careful observation, I noticed that the water is actually leaking from around the valve mount on the heater, not the joint where the valve screws into the heater itself.

Please advise my next move?

Thanks again.

Look real close. I believe most of these are welded in. You should be able to see the bead of weld all the way around the fitting. If thats the case, there is no repairing it. Good luck.

Looks welded to me. It actually looks rusty all around the mount, and there appears to be no removing the mount, so I am assuming it is welded.


I actually have two heaters side-by-side in series (same age, make, and model). Would it hurt anything to just bypass the bad one and run one heater only?


Thanks again.

Sounds like you may have outlived the warranty, but it would be worth a call to Rheem.

You can of course bypass it, but I assume the 2 htrs were installed to meet a demand, so this might be a problem for you.

I checked the Rheem website, and based on serial number it is under warranty until May-2006.


Planning on bypassing the bad one for now, while I figure out what the remaining warranty gets me.


Thank you all for your help. This is a great website.