Ariel called us with water spreading across her basement floor. Her electric tank was leaking from the bottom — and a leak at the base isn't a repair, the tank itself has failed. We were out the same day she called, sourced the unit that day, and put in a heater that shuts itself off if it ever happens again.
Ariel’s aging A.O. Smith electric tank, installed in a narrow utility closet, was leaking from the bottom and putting water on the basement floor. Once a tank leaks at the seam near the base, there is no repair — the steel has given up and the only question is how much water comes out before it's swapped.
The supply connections had visible green corrosion at the copper, which is what decades of slow seepage around the fittings looks like.
A Rheem Performance Platinum 55-gallon electric water heater. We chose this one deliberately: it has built-in leak detection with an automatic water shutoff. Ariel had just watched a tank flood her floor — this unit closes the water itself if it ever starts again, whether anyone is home or not.
The existing electrical circuit was in good condition and correctly sized, so we reused it rather than charging Ariel for a service change she didn't need.
Old unit drained, disconnected, and carried out. New tank in, connected, filled, and tested. Three hours, start to finish, and the closet trim stayed intact — no drywall or door frame cut.
The old unit's EnergyGuide rated it at $561 a year. The replacement is rated at $494. Roughly $67 a year back, on top of not having a wet basement.
★★★★★Great price“Highly recommend! Came the same day I called. He ordered the water heater the same day. He quickly resolved the problem. He’s very nice, friendly and has get communication.”
A tank leaking at the bottom does not stop on its own. If yours is doing this, shut the water off at the valve above the heater and call us — we replace tanks in Haverhill and the Merrimack Valley, most days same-day.
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