water in drip pan

[mkeyes001]

Hey folks, first post here. Appreciate the help in advance.

I have an electric water heater in a mobile home, didn't have much hot water so I had to pull the wall panel to actually get to the water heater. First thing I noticed was water, about 1/2 deep in the drip pan that has drain hose out the bottom of the home.

I pulled the top and bottom panels to test the elements and the bottom one was all rusted up with water sitting below where it screws in. The thermostat was all corroded and burnt up. like it had shorted out. I cleaned up all the water, replaced the bottom thermostat and element.

This has fixed the hot water issue, but the tank is still leaking from some where. It still has water in the drip pan and the water builds up below the bottom element. It's not leaking from the element itself, that is all dry around the seal so I really have no idea where its coming from. Everything up top is dry.

Long story short, is this tank a ticking time bomb waiting to flood my house? Should I replace it ASAP? Or is there something else I can look at to figure out where it's leaking from. Thanks

 

[Reach4]

Typically this means that your thermal expansion tank is not working or needs to be bigger or needs to exist.

Without a good thermal expansion tank, when cold water heats and expands, the water pressure rises to 150 psi. At that point the temperature and pressure relief valve opens and passes water.

Alternatively, there can be a valve that releases water at maybe 125 psi to a drain. Codes may or may not allow that, due to wasting-water considerations.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[John Gayewski]

Is the water coming from the t&p?

If not your tank is rested through somewhere. Time to get a new heater.

 

[Sylvan]

If the tank is more then 10 years old replace it

 

[mkeyes001]

Hi, sorry for not responding earlier. I lost my registration email and couldn't remember the site name.

I haven't seen any water coming from the relief valve on top, the tank is only like 5 years old. And I'm not sure about an expansion tank, I just see the water heater, would that be a separate tank or is that inside?

 

[Sylvan]

The expansion tank is NOT inside the tank. It is an add on device to control expansion which can cause the T@P to discharge

 

[Sedin26]

If the water isn't coming from around the element and you can't specifically see a leak on top then this tank is done. It's time to replace it before it gets worse and causes a bigger mess.

If you have a closed system (PRV, meter with check valve) make sure to get an expansion tank with the new water heater.