I'm dealing with a leak in my natural gas water heater, specifically from the area where the control unit enters the tank. I've already turned off the gas and water supply and drained the tank using a garden hose. My main concern is whether it's safe to leave the tank in this state until Monday. Since the water and gas are both off, will it be safe, or is there a risk of damaging the internal components like you would with an electric heater? I've only ever worked with electric water heaters, so I'm a bit anxious about this situation.
2 Answers
Sounds like you’re in the clear! With the gas turned off, there’s no flame, so you should be safe leaving it until Monday. It is a bit strange that it’s leaking from there; it usually happens at the bottom. You might want to look into resealing the gas valve with some Teflon tape if that’s the source of the leak. Hopefully, it's a simple fix and you won't need a whole new heater.
Totally valid concern! Just remember that without water and gas supplied, there’s no risk of burning anything up inside. I’d recommend checking on it in case it leaks worse, but you'll likely be okay. As for your washer—if the cold water was turned on, it might have caused a pressure change that affected the heater. Definitely a little weird!