Water Heater and Appliance Leaks in Suwanee, GA

What you can see

• A puddle, or a dark patch on the floor, around the base of a water heater
• Water behind or under a washer, or a hose that bulges or is crusted at the connection
• A cabinet floor under the dishwasher or a fridge line that feels soft
• A rust-colored stain on the floor beneath a tank
• A stained ceiling in a utility closet below an upstairs laundry

Around Suwanee

For a gas water heater, the gas company depends on the street: Suwanee's utilities page lists Atlanta Gas Light at 404-584-4000, and Sugar Hill runs its own system, taking gas leaks at (770) 271-2137.

EPA WaterSense puts the typical household's yearly leak loss above 9,300 gallons, and counts nine in every hundred homes as leaking 50 gallons or more each day.

On site, a visit goes like this

1. Call (678) 572-1407 and name the appliance and what is wet around it; the contractor can arrange a visit.

2. Moisture readings cover the floor, the wall behind the machine and, if a room sits below, its ceiling.

3. The contractor sorts what the leak touched: cabinet bases, flooring, the subfloor under it and nearby drywall.

4. Repairing or replacing the appliance is a different trade, and the contractor says which one that is.

5. Fans and dehumidifiers go in where the readings point, and the contractor explains what each is doing.

6. The contractor leaves a brief written note of the findings, ready for an insurer.

What changes the size of a job

Why a weeping tank and a split hose differ

A hose that sprays for ten minutes and a tank that seeps for a month are different jobs. The sizes that matter are how long the water ran, whether it reached the subfloor, and whether it dropped into the room below. A leak caught at a cabinet floor is smaller than one found when a floor has gone soft. The contractor works up a figure after seeing the spot.

Looks you can take from dry ground

Stay with checks you can make from dry ground, in daylight, away from anything electrical that has been wet. Wet wiring and soaked drywall are professional work.

• Look at the base of the water heater and at the pipes on top for drips, corrosion or damp insulation. EPA WaterSense tells owners to watch for drips, corrosion, loose connections and aging gaskets.
• Use a flashlight to look behind and under the washer at both hoses and both valves, checking for bulges, crusting or drips.
• Open the cabinet under the dishwasher and under every sink, then run a dry paper towel along each supply line.
• Write down the make, the age and the location of the shutoff valves, and photograph the wet area.

Moves that make it worse

What to skip with a leaking tank or hose

Reaching behind a washer in standing water to unplug it. Wrapping a tank seam in towels and leaving it, so the leak stays hidden. Draining the tank without checking the power or gas first. Pushing a wet appliance back against the wall before the floor beneath it has been photographed.

Georgia seasons and this job

Winter bills as a leak detector

EPA WaterSense says that in a home with no outdoor water use in winter, a family of four whose water use tops 12,000 gallons in a month likely has a serious leak. If the irrigation is off, a winter water bill is the cleanest read on whether an appliance line is weeping unseen.

Have this at hand

Facts worth having at the phone

• Which appliance, and how old it is
• Whether the leak is a drip, a spray or a seep
• What is wet around it, and whether water reached another room
• Whether the shutoff valve is closed
• Photos of the appliance, the floor and the valves

Have the street address, the room it started in and what you can see ready, then call (678) 572-1407. If you rent, contact the landlord first. Calls cover Suwanee, Sugar Hill and Johns Creek.

Call (678) 572-1407

Before you hire anyone

Swapping a water heater

Suwanee's building page lists water heater replacement among the work that needs a permit, which is worth knowing before a replacement is booked. The hiring checklist lists the building offices in all three towns.