Water Heater Leaking? What to Do, and Repair vs Replace

By Mississippi Plumbing 247 Editorial Team · Published November 6, 2026

A puddle at the base of the water heater is one of the most common emergency calls — and one of the most misunderstood. Sometimes it is a $20 valve. Sometimes it is a dead tank. This guide shows how to find the source, check the age, and decide between repair and replacement, with the costs in one place.

First: find where the water is coming from

Dry the area, then watch where water reappears. Connections at the top — a loose or corroded inlet or outlet fitting — are often repairable. The T&P (temperature and pressure) relief valve — the valve on the side with a discharge pipe — can drip when it is faulty or when pressure is too high; a faulty T&P valve is a repair, but never cap or plug it. The drain valve at the bottom can leak if it is loose or worn. The tank bottom itself — water seeping from the base with no visible fitting leak — usually means the tank has corroded through. That is a replacement.

Turn it off safely

Turn off the power at the breaker (electric) or set the gas control to pilot or off (gas). Shut off the cold water supply to the heater. If the leak is large, attach a hose to the drain valve and drain the tank. Then call (662) 550-8213. For a gas smell near a gas water heater, leave the house first and call from outside — see our gas leak guide.

Check the age — the serial number tells you

Most tank water heaters last 8–12 years. Find the rating plate on the unit and read the serial number — the first digits usually encode the year of manufacture. A unit under 8 years old with a valve or element fault is usually worth repairing. A unit over 10 years old with a leaking tank, rusty water, or repeated repairs is usually better replaced. Sediment is the Mississippi factor here: mineral-heavy water leaves sediment in the tank, which causes rumbling, reduces efficiency, and shortens the unit's life.

Tank vs tankless leaking

A tank leak is usually the tank itself failing — there is no repair for a corroded tank. A tankless leak is usually a fitting, a valve, or a heat exchanger issue, and is more often repairable. Tankless units also have no stored tank of water to flood the floor. Our tankless guide for Mississippi compares the two systems in full.

Repair vs replace — with costs

Ranges are typical ranges from a published Southaven pricing guide, not fixed quotes. As a rule: repair when the unit is young and the fault is a part; replace when the tank itself has failed or the unit is past 10 years with repeated problems.

If your water heater is leaking now, call (662) 550-8213. See our emergency water heater repair page for the service.

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Mississippi Plumbing 247 · 7305 Murry Hill Cir, Olive Branch, MS 38654, USA · (662) 550-8213 · info@mississippiplumbing247.com