Water heater leak repair in Houston, TX homes and rentals across Harris County, from the Texas Medical Center to George Bush Intercontinental Airport. We trace the leak to a valve, a fitting or the tank, fix it, and replace the heater when the tank has failed. Calls answered 24/7.
Our water heater leak repairs reach every part of Houston, TX and the rest of Harris County. Every leak starts at a valve, a joint or the tank itself, and we find out which one first. Valves and joints are part swaps. A rusted-through tank means a new heater, plus a city permit and an inspection in Houston.
Supply lines in unheated attics and garages
NOAA's 1991-2020 normals show Bush Intercontinental dropping to 32 F or lower on 10.1 nights in an average year. A heater line that froze often leaks only after it thaws, so we check the pipes above the tank before we blame the tank.
The shut-off valve and connectors above the heater
The Census Bureau puts the median Houston home at 1982 construction. In a house that age, the cold shut-off and the connectors on top may be original or several heaters old, and they often weep before the tank does.
The drain pan and the line that runs out to the eave
Many Houston, TX homes put the heater in the attic over a drain pan, with a line that exits under the eave. A drip from that line outside, or a brown ring spreading across the ceiling below, is often the first sign.
Inside the tank, down at the drain spigot
Sediment that settles inside can stop a drain valve from sealing once someone has opened it. When the anode rod is used up, the steel starts to rust, and a tank seeping at its base can't be repaired.
The spot where water appears on your heater tells us which part failed, and every visit ends with that part fixed or the heater replaced.
A wet base has three usual sources: the drain valve, condensation off a tank full of cold water, or the tank bottom. We check them in that order, and only the last one means a new heater.
Joints on top weep slowly and send water down the jacket, so a top leak often looks like a base leak at first. We trace it back to the joint that failed and reseal or replace it.
This valve opens when the tank runs too hot or the pressure climbs, and it also drips once it wears out. We gauge the house water pressure before replacing it, because a new valve does nothing for high pressure.
We work on gas and electric tanks and on tankless units. Electric heaters can weep at the element gaskets, and tankless units leak at their water connections. When a tank has failed, we replace the heater.
The Houston Permitting Center, part of Houston Public Works, issues the permit when a water heater is replaced or installed, and it limits who can pull one.
The Houston Permitting Center says a permit to replace or install a water heater must be obtained by a master plumber registered with the City of Houston. A single-family home needs no plan review, the work needs an inspection, and the permit stays valid for 180 days.
Houston also issues a Homeowner's Plumbing Permit, but only for the homestead the owner lives in and only when the owner does the work and schedules the inspections. State law backs this: under Texas Occupations Code section 1301.051, an owner needs no plumbing license for work in their own homestead.
Before anyone replaces a heater in Houston, ask for the license number. State board guidance says a Master Plumber number begins with M, while numbers starting with A, T or J are not Master Plumber numbers. Our guide to Texas permit and license rules shows how to run the search.
An attic leak spreads into the ceiling before you see it, so these steps come first, and all of them are safe for most homeowners.
Climb up with a flashlight and turn the valve on the cold pipe above the tank clockwise until it stops. If the ladder or attic floor feels unsafe, close the main at the street meter.
Set a gas heater's control knob to off, or flip the electric heater's breaker at the panel.
Find the pipe from the pan where it comes out under the eave. A steady drip there means water is reaching the pan and draining away.
A bulging or sagging spot is holding water. Keep people and furniture out from under it and set a bucket below.
Phone your gas utility once everyone is outside.
Tell us your city, whether the heater is gas, electric or tankless, and where the water is showing.
Call (512) 325-0362We answer leak calls from every part of Houston, TX and across Greater Houston, and all Texas service areas are listed together. Four nearby cities each get a page of their own.
Nearby cities with their own page
Conroe, TX pumps its drinking water from wells, and contractors there must register with the city before filing a permit. See our page on Conroe leak repair.
NOAA's Love Field normals show 23.1 freezing nights a year in Dallas, TX, more than twice the count at Bush Intercontinental. See our page on Dallas leak repair.
Austin, TX writes its own amendments to the Uniform Plumbing Code, so its permit details differ from Houston's. Read about Austin water heater leaks.
SAWS lists typical hardness of 15 to 20 grains per gallon in San Antonio, TX, so sediment inside the tank is a common cause there. See our page on leak repair in San Antonio.
Houston callers ask us these about cost, repairs, rentals and electric heaters.
A valve or joint repair costs a fraction of a new heater. The leak source sets the price, and a Houston replacement adds the city permit and inspection. National cost ranges are listed on our statewide leak repair page.
It is repairable when the leak is at a valve, a joint or a gasket. When water comes through the tank shell, corroded steel under pressure can't be patched, so the heater comes out and a new one goes in.
No. The City of Houston issues its Homeowner's Plumbing Permit only for the homestead the owner occupies. Replacing the water heater in a rental needs a permit pulled by a master plumber registered with the city.
Yes. Switch off the heater's breaker and close the cold supply first. On an electric tank we check the element gaskets first, then both valves, and repair the part or replace a failed tank.
Tell us whether the heater sits in the attic, the garage or a closet, and how fast it is dripping. We answer calls 24/7 and talk you through shutting the heater off.
Call (512) 325-0362