Areas We Serve

Areas We Serve

Why Is My Water Heater Leaking From the Top?

Walking into the utility room and noticing water on top of your water heater is never a good feeling. Sometimes it’s just a tiny drip, other times the fittings look damp and you’re left wondering if something bigger is going on. Either way, a leak up there is something you shouldn’t ignore. What starts as a small problem can quickly turn into water damage in your Auburn home.

At 2 Sons Plumbing Auburn, we deal with this all the time. The good news: many top leaks come from loose connectors or worn fittings. The bad news: if water is coming directly from the tank itself, replacement is usually your only option.

Why a Water Heater Leaks From the Top

If the rest of your system seems fine, the issue usually comes down to one of these:

Loose Supply Connectors

The cold-water inlet and hot-water outlet are connected at the top. Over time, these threaded connectors loosen or corrode, letting water escape.

Worn Fittings or Valves

Other fittings—like elbows, T&P valves, or shutoffs—sit near the top. If they fail, they’ll drip whenever the tank is under pressure.

Tank Failure

If you dry everything off and water still forms on the tank body itself, that means corrosion has eaten through. Unfortunately, tanks can’t be patched. At that point, replacement is the safest fix.

Quick Steps You Can Try

If you’re comfortable taking a closer look, here are some safe things you can do:

Shut off power or gas. Always turn off the energy supply before working near your heater.
Shut off the cold-water valve. This stops more water from flowing into the tank.
Dry the area. Use a towel to wipe everything down, then see where the water reappears.
If it looks like a loose connector, tightening or replacing it may solve the problem. But if the tank itself is damp, call a plumber right away.

When to Call a Plumber in Auburn

Not sure what you’re looking at? That’s when it’s time to call 2 Sons Plumbing Auburn. You’ll want professional help if:

The tank body itself is wet
Fittings are badly corroded
Valves keep dripping after adjustments
The leak returns even after tightening parts

We’ll inspect your system, confirm where the leak is coming from, and recommend either a repair or replacement.

What It Might Cost

Connector or fitting repairs: $250–$450

Full replacement: $1,800–$4,500, depending on size and type of heater

Don’t Wait on a Top Leak

Even a small drip can stain drywall, warp flooring, or lead to mold if it’s ignored. Acting quickly saves time, money, and stress.

At 2 Sons Plumbing Auburn, our licensed plumbers know water heaters inside and out. Whether you need a quick repair or a brand-new system, we’ll get your hot water back and your home protected.

Call us today at (206) 487-1757. We’ll track down the leak, explain your options in plain language, and get your Auburn home back to normal fast.

2 Sons Plumbing, Electrical, Heating & Air

4.9

Based on 3327 reviews

review us on

Victor Garcia

20:12 23 Oct 25

Dave and David came and cleared out a huge clog in my kitchen sink (both sides) that has been plaguing us for a while as well a ton of glass shards that got into the drain when our glass fridge shelf broke. Dave walked us through each step of the process and explained everything which was excellent. He also gave us advice about galvanized piping replacement. They even gave us a few free parts for the sink drain that had eroded away and didn’t charge extra for it!! All around 5 star service!!!

Victor Garcia

20:12 23 Oct 25

Steve P

20:40 21 Oct 25

Fantastic service and communication. Local company. Solved my clogged basement laundry utility sink. Dave and David were courteous, informative, professional and easy to engage with. Scheduling was easy (they came the next day) and they arrived within the expected time window. Transparent pricing and i could also apply a coupon. I will use them again.

Steve P

20:40 21 Oct 25

Ashton Wylde

05:46 21 Oct 25

Great service and Dave their plumber is the best. We have an odd house with even odder plumbing. The pipes are a mess of grandfathered-in open air nonsense, when our pump started making some noises (and a little leaking) after some DIY heat tape adventures (getting ready for colder weather), we were worried that we would need a massive repair but Dave came and looked at it and immediately realized we had unplugged the float plug from the pump plug which was 90% of the problem and the leak just need a little tightening of a flex joint. The company was quick and didn't charge for an estimate or in this case a quick "thats not plugged in right". The experience and the overall professionalism has convinced me that when I do finally need that big repair job, I'll call these guys.

Ashton Wylde

05:46 21 Oct 25

Spencer Charles

05:07 20 Oct 25

Booking an appointment was extremely easy, and we were able to get one just the next day. Communication was excellent with timely reminders and a call before our appointment. Kerry did a fantastic job both advising us and effectively resolving our issue.

Spencer Charles

05:07 20 Oct 25

LuAnn Mitchell

02:38 14 Oct 25

I have all good things to say about 2 Sons Plumbing. My first experience was a few years ago and the whole process went very smoothly. Making the appointment was easy and quick, the repair was done with no problem and I thought the price was fair. Recently, Dave from 2 Sons came out to look at several plumbing problems I was having and, within a matter of minutes, all of the problems were diagnosed. Dave gave me options and estimates all before he left my house. I haven’t had the work done yet but appreciate the information and the prices seemed fair to me. Dave was on time, professional and very knowledgeable. 2 Sons are my go to Plumbers.

LuAnn Mitchell

02:38 14 Oct 25

Kayla Huitt

16:58 13 Oct 25

Bob at 2 Sons Plumbing was amazing! We had a horribly backed up kitchen sink drain and he was able to fix it, and save us some money in the process! He heard what we had to say about our issue and double checked everything. Super friendly and very helpful. Thank you for the amazing work Bob!

Kayla Huitt

16:58 13 Oct 25

Mingmin Zhu

00:31 11 Oct 25

I had great experience with Chase, Riley, Seth, Manu, Nolan with a recent fix. They showed up promptly, transparent about the price upfront, set the expectations right, very professional, got things done perfectly, great communication and very honest and patient to answer all my questions, I will definitely use 2 sons again and will recommend it to my friends and neighbors.

Mingmin Zhu

00:31 11 Oct 25

Arul Menezes

00:41 10 Oct 25

Stellar job by Carey and his team at 2sons today. I had a complex job -- installing a yard hydrant/faucet for a garden across the (private) street. They had to go into the floor of the garage, run piping under the floor, out of the house, across the road. Had to cut into the asphalt, trench down a couple feet, then patch it all up again, including fixing the garage concrete floor. Super job. Looks really clean. Got it all done in a day.

Arul Menezes

00:41 10 Oct 25

First Name

00:04 10 Oct 25

A wonderful experience every time with 2 Sons plumbing. Jake and Angelo helped us with our plumbing issue. They showed up on time and gave a very reasonable estimate for the repair. We ended up replacing a couple of toilets and a part of a sink drain. They came back the next day to complete the work due to our schedule. Excellent communication, prompt, and hard working! Thank you so much Jake and Angelo!! We are very happy with 2 Sons and have used them multiple times.

First Name

00:04 10 Oct 25

Erica G.

00:11 09 Oct 25

Brandon and Ethan were awesome. I had a basic plumbing issue that I was too scared to address myself. They were very non judgmental and provided excellent customer service. I totally recommend 2 Sons Plumbing.

Erica G.

00:11 09 Oct 25