After a lawn care worker blew out the sprinkler system, a new homeowner panicked when they found water on their laundry room floor.
Here's what to know
The homeowner tracked the leak to a pipe next to the heater.
"It's a pretty fast drip, maybe 3 or 4 drops of water per second," the original poster wrote.
The homeowner also said that they had two running toilets that helped drive a water bill past $500, and that they tried a DIY fix on those earlier. Being new to homeownership and plumbing issues, the homeowner sought advice and asked Reddit whether those repairs could somehow have affected the home's water pressure.
Commenters said the issue was likely "not related" to the toilet bowl DIY fix. However, when talking about the lawn care workers' mistake, another said a sprinkler blowout might have caused "a pressure spike" if the irrigation setup was connected to the home's water without a backflow preventer.
Most of the advice focused on the temperature and pressure relief valve, or T&P valve for short.
One commenter advised, "Briefly lift the small handle on the valve and let go letting it snap shut. Still leaking?"
In a later update, the homeowner said the dripping ended after a friend lifted the lever completely and then lowered it again.
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Upgrading to a heat pump water heater can cut a home's water-heating energy costs. Those savings can be even more important when other plumbing problems are already pushing bills higher.
More background
The poster described being inexperienced with home maintenance and was especially concerned because the water heater was only four years old.
Some commenters said the leak could reflect a pressure problem in the surrounding system. One person highlighted the expansion tank beside the relief valve and said that if the Schrader valve releases water instead of air, "the bladder is ruptured."
Possible explanations mentioned in the thread included debris in the valve, a problem with the expansion tank, or a pressure event originating somewhere else in the house.
Either way, addressing the issue quickly is vital. Even a small leak can get expensive if it spreads to surrounding materials, which is why one commenter warned, "It's cheaper to fix this than it is to have resto/mold & still needing repairs to this."
What can be done?
In this situation, fully opening the relief valve lever so it could reseat provided a fix. Commenters also recommended checking the expansion tank or, if that felt outside the homeowner's comfort zone, calling "a locally owned family plumbing company."
By preventing water damage and by avoiding additional waste after the homeowner had already dealt with a water bill of more than $500 from the two running toilets, they may have saved themselves thousands of dollars.
For homeowners thinking beyond emergency fixes, Cala makes smart heat pump water heaters that add more control over when hot water is produced. Cala's customizable smart heat pump water heaters can help homeowners decrease their energy bills by heating water exactly when it is needed. That kind of scheduling may appeal to people trying to rein in utility costs while upgrading aging equipment.
The original poster wrote, "Man I wish I had seen this comment 10 minutes ago, you could have saved me a heart attack. … I thought I initially made a terrible mistake but the problem seems to be fixed now — thank you so much."
Where can I learn more?
Seeing a fast drip of water in your house can feel alarming, especially for a new homeowner. Plumbing issues are already a major source of stress for people without expertise.
• A garage homeowner found a $7 drain valve fix after fearing heater failure.
• A homeowner eyeing a water heater replacement learned a $650-750 instant rebate could soften upgrade costs.
• A faulty heater blew up in one person's face, leaving them traumatized.
• A broken tank triggered house-rattling explosions at home.
• Under one gas unit, an abnormal flame pattern prompted urgent calls for a plumber.
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