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Here is the situation (with pics):

top of heater

bottom of heater

See that pan on the bottom? The hole in it is covered by tape.

So here is what I was gonna do. Is this a good idea? First. I've gone out and purchased a new pan for the bottom. I also purchased a round piece of wood exactly the same size as the pan and 6 bricks and the hose you see connected to the drain.

My plan was to turn off the water and gas lines. Drain the thing using the hose. Then hopefully, If I loosen up the restraining straps I should be able to lift the whole contraption up about 4 inches. That will be just enough space to slide the bricks underneath and also the wood on top of the bricks and the new pan on that.

Doing this will raise the pan so that it is slightly higher than the hole in the wall where I plan to add a pipe connected to the pan for drainage.

Speaking of the hole in the wall... You see how there is currently a pipe in that hole? Someone went through the trouble of connecting all of that pipe to the pressure release valve. As far as I can tell those pipes are welded on so that's going to be a problem. My thought's there are that I will take a hacksaw and simply cut the pressure release valve pipe at the bottom right before it would have gone through the wall.

Is this a reasonable approach?

Reid
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Dallas Caley
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    1 - Not clear what the current actual problem is - title says "leak" but I didn't see description of a leak in the body of the posting; 2 - 4" is going to cause problems on everything at the top - flexible in/out water lines aren't always as flexible as you might think and the vent will be seriously affected too; 3 - even empty, a water heater is **heavy** so lifting it may not be as easy as you think; 4 - be extremely careful about the gas connections - yellow flex should be able to handle 4" of movement but any problem anywhere and you now have a gas leak. – manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact Mar 03 '19 at 18:50
  • So the problem is that there is water on the floor as you can see from the bottom pic. I did not actually noticed the tapped over hole until i took this picture so now that i see that I can see that the tape itself has a tear in it. I could just re-tape it i suppose but it seems like a bad idea to have the heater just sitting in a pool of water all the time – Dallas Caley Mar 03 '19 at 18:55
  • as for the flex lines. I hear you. maybe would be best to call a plumber to install correctly. unfortunately the yellow line you refer to has nothing actually do do with the water heater. it is going to the dryer – Dallas Caley Mar 03 '19 at 18:57
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    Aha! I didn't see the water before. If that yellow flex is to the dryer then the gas piping is an issue to. And I suspect it is a code violation to have the flex for the dryer running in front of the water heater too. I think this is a job for a plumber. – manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact Mar 03 '19 at 19:29
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    OMG there is so much wrong with that photo. Is there even a code in the states? – Joe Fala Mar 03 '19 at 19:41
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    "I'm pretty sure this was installed by a moron." Quite likely, but don't take the same approach to fixing the problem! This whole mess looks like it wants throwing away and replacing with a proper installation IMO. – alephzero Mar 03 '19 at 23:37
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    If the water heater is ***broken***, why are you wasting *even five minutes* of your time on hokey shims and quick fixes? You'll have to fix it properly quite soon. – Harper - Reinstate Monica Mar 04 '19 at 02:07
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    A catchpan or drip tray is a GREAT idea. But putting it under a leaking heater as a fix for the leak, is a BAD idea. You should replace the cylinder, and get the new one installed to code. – Criggie Mar 04 '19 at 06:59
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    @DallasCaley A small leak is the warning before a massive leak, which will destroy everything (everything!) around and below it. The cost of a professional and new equipment is much cheaper in money and *time and angst*. (My family is cursed by the water gods... We've flooded due to: washer lines, waterbeds, power outages and basements, etc.) Handle it now, while you can ***calmly***, rather than in the middle of the night on a holiday weekend. (Which you're doing; good job!) Also, I would say that someone... clever could DIY this job, with enough research, up until you touch gas in any way. – Zach Mierzejewski Mar 04 '19 at 14:52
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    No one else mentioned it, but that looks like a laminate floor and it now has water under it. That should probably be addressed to when the water heater is taken out. – JPhi1618 Mar 04 '19 at 15:44
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    Moron is considered offensive. We prefer the term "Some Genius" – Chris Cudmore Mar 04 '19 at 16:42
  • @ZachMierzejewski plus raising up the water heater will mean that if the leak for some reason results in spraying water that water will now travel even further than it would have if they left it where it was and simply dried and replaced the tape. Definitely a recipe for disaster. – user64742 Mar 05 '19 at 02:31
  • Hold on here - how long have you been looking at a pool of water under your water heater? Is that supposed to be normal? When you moved in, what did the home inspector / real estate agent / previous owner / landlord say about all the water? Does the water come from under the tank, or on top? Could the water be coming from the exhaust flue, and the tank & water lines *might* actually be ok? – Xen2050 Mar 05 '19 at 15:49
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    Update: all fixed now. called a real plumber and they installed a whole new system – Dallas Caley Mar 07 '19 at 02:43

4 Answers4

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If the water on the floor is from the water heater I would fix that problem before I do anything else. If it is coming from the tank then it probably needs replaced. You can raise the tank as high as you want but if you do I would also replace the copper flex water lines and the flexible gas line. Once those lines get older, the flex gets hard and rigid and may break when you re-bend them to the new height. A broken water line or gas leak could be a disaster. And, by the way, the piping off that T&P relief valve is soldered and is not welded indicating to me that you should seek help from someone more knowledgeable than yourself in what you want to accomplish.

d.george
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    Thank's. I suspect you are right on all accounts. – Dallas Caley Mar 03 '19 at 19:03
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    @DallasCaley, fyi, the difference between a weld and soldering is that a weld means that the original pieces have melted (a bit) and they are fused together, while soldering is more like hot glue, where the solder melts at a much lower temperature and is wicked up by the parts, providing a seal. You can undo soldering by heating the joint at the proper temperature, but welding requires mechanical destruction. Cutting, drilling, chiseling… – sleblanc Mar 04 '19 at 16:20
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    The fact that the OP isn't familiar with soldering vs. welding doesn't mean he can't come here to learn how to properly deal with his situation. I agree with everything in your answer except for that comment. Its a water pipe, not a gas pipe, and he's already got a flood. – StayOnTarget Mar 05 '19 at 13:08
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No gas shut off for either line, flex is not suitable for a stationary appliance unless it's approved CSST, duct tape on the flue, draft hood is crooked, pressure relief should terminate in a conspicuous location, those flex lines, globe valve, saddle valve, crooked seismic strap, it's old, it's leaking, plus all the problems not visible from the picture. It's time for a change.

Joe Fala
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  • Ah-ha! Seismic strap! Thanks - never saw one of those before as I don't live in an area where they're needed. In Ohio our dirt doesn't go out dancing. :-) – Bob Jarvis - Слава Україні Mar 05 '19 at 12:38
  • @Bob Jarvis I'm in Toronto so no dancing here either. I'm not sure about the name, I just made it up but thought it was clear enough that I didn't have to google it. – Joe Fala Mar 05 '19 at 13:44
  • @BobJarvis we're neighbors, I'm in Indiana. Does "New Madrid" mean anything to you? It's been a while, but your dirt may go dancing, too. (Of course, nobody 'round here worries about seismic straps, either...) – FreeMan Mar 05 '19 at 16:06
  • Yeah, if/when the New Madrid fault cuts loose again it's gonna be a mess. But fortunately that won't matter, because it'll all be underwater due to rising sea levels caused by climate change. Of course, *that* will cause massive devastating tsunamis, but *that* won't matter because the human race will have gone extinct from sheer embarrassment, if for no other reason. – Bob Jarvis - Слава Україні Mar 06 '19 at 13:04
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There is a reason most countries regulate gas-related equipment strictly, because they don't want buildings to explode. If there is no electricity or gas involved, fix it! If it's under - let's say - 50 Volts, go on! If it's 110-230 V, watch out, but you'll be probably okay. If it can leak gas, and fill up the inside of a building, or kill everyone through CO poisoning, call someone who knows what to do! (and probably certified by either a gas company, a heater manufacturer, or by the government).

Daniel Griscom
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Nyos
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    Hello, and welcome to Home Improvement. I removed your commentary; it would have made it more likely that your post be deleted. Without that, it's a reasonable answer: thanks. – Daniel Griscom Mar 04 '19 at 02:45
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    I wrote it because an "ask a professional" answer in a DIY topic is frowned upon, even when it's the correct (and in many places, the legal) answer. – Nyos Mar 04 '19 at 03:06
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    @Nyos that line of thinking doesn't apply to the stackexchange network, even the DIY corner. We are after objectively 'right' answers here. Sometimes the right answer is to consult a professional. – James T Mar 04 '19 at 09:23
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    "If it's 110-230 V, watch out, but you'll be probably okay." Voltages like that are potentially lethal. I know many of us have survived it often enough, but *don't* state "you'll be probably okay". That's not how it works. – Mast Mar 04 '19 at 15:02
  • @Mast: That's true, it's why I added the "watch out" part. You need to be careful with those (more than low-voltage stuff). Also, some countries/companies have legal restriction there as well, but not as common/strict as with gas. Do you think I should edit my answer? – Nyos Mar 04 '19 at 15:25
  • It's clearly a gas heater. He'll not be OK. – Peter - Reinstate Monica Mar 05 '19 at 14:47
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Being in the plumbing industry most of my adult life, if you are going to go to the trouble of raising the heater just a few inches, you might want to look at relocating the heater entirely. I have never seen a "smitty pan" save a home from a major water leak.

David Richerby
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Dan Dawson
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