Hot Water Heater Leakage

My electric hot-water heater pressure overflow is dripping.

Is this normal? If not what causes it? How do I go about fixing it?

Thanks...

Not normal. Two possible cures. First, if your house has a pressure regulator valve, it should also have an expansion tank. If the expansion tank fails, then when the water is heated and expands, it has nowhere to go and will cause the TP valve on the heater to leak. Second, if you do not have a PRV and expansion tank, then the TP valve is leaking and should be replaced. A new one is less than $15 at any hardware store. To replace, turn the water to the tank off, drain the tank down just a little, take the length to drain pipe off the old TP valve, unscrew the TP. The new one installs in reverse. You need to use pipe dope or teflon tape on the new one when you install it. Turn the water back on, check for leaks, and have a beer.

At the risk of sounding stupid, what is the TP valve?

T&P
Temperature and Pressure

If the water gets too hot, or the pressure is too high, it releases water to prevent explosions.

Thanks, guess it's time to call the plumber.

I looked to see if this was something I could do myself, but while the TP valve is threaded into the water heater, it is soldered onto the discharge pipe, so I would have to cut it. I have no tools for copper plumbing so I guess I will have to call in the pros.

Thanks...

If you are handy, the tools required are much less than a call to a plumber. Depending on the age of the WH, it could have other problems.

A basic hacksaw will cut that pipe. Whoever soldered it on was stupid! This pipe is just to give water that might come out of the TP a way to drain to the floor. It can not leak because there is seldom, if ever, any water in it and if there is some being discharged, it isn't under pressure. Cut the pipe off, remove and replace the TP, install a new discharge pipe using pieces of pipe and fittings from the hardware store.

Well, I went ahead and replaced the TP valve and there is still leakage. Does this mean that I have a bad water heater?

Thanks...