6 open the pressure relief on the top vent and cycle several times.
Gas water heater leaking from top vent.
Electric switch or turn the gas control valve to off 2 attach garden hose to the drain valve.
The first place to check is the plumbing pipes above the water heater.
For a gas water heater turn the thermostat control to the off position.
1 turn off the water heater.
Leaks from the top of the water heater are usually caused by one of the three connections at the top as shown in the diagram below.
1 connection that generates hot water 2 connection that generates cold water 3 connection that releases pressure.
3 run garden hose to a safe place to dump hot water.
5 open drain valve.
Rain water when rain water travels down the flue vent pipe of a gas water heater it can collect on the top of your tank.
Gas water heater leaking from the top where the vent pipe is attached.
Here are a few other possible causes.
Turn off the water supply to your water heater using a pipe cutting tool like this one for tight spaces cut the water pipe a couple inches below the lowest soldered.
4 shut off water inlet to hot water heater.
If your valve is located on the top of your water heater like in the picture below check to see where it s leaking from.
Drain your tank just slightly so you don t get any overflow as you remove the parts your replacing along with pulling.
Two places it may be leaking from include.
From its base where it screws into the water heater from the piping attached to the t p relief valve and also coming out of the open end of the pipe.
Most homes have a dedicated circuit breaker for an electric water heater and some were built with an easily accessible secondary shut off in the vicinity of the heater itself.
If you suspect that you have a leak from the top turn off the power to your water heater.