water heater trouble

[kbailey45us]

My water heater has began to leak water. It has a drain pan but the pan isn't routed outside (should it be?). The water heater is only about three years old. My water has always been extremely hot so when this happened I turned both heating elements down in case the safety valve was releasing water. The bottom element was turned all the way up with the top element about half way. I put both of them about one step above the low set point. I waited a few hours and then checked and it was leaking out of the pan some still. Finally I drained the pan as well as I could and am measuring the level of water in the pan to see if it's still leaking. Should I give it a few days to see if the temperature adjustment helps or is that something that wouldn't even affect it. Any help as to if I need a new one or what to look for is appreciated. Money is rather tight this time of year and if there is a way I can get out of buying a new one it would be great. Again, any help is appreciated.

[jimbo]

You need to get your flashlight and your Dick Tracy hat and find out exactly where the leak is coming from. If it is the TP, that is one issue. If it is a fitting, or a tank leak, you need to identify the source.

[hj]

If it is leaking, and if it is three years old, and if the manufacturer is still in business, then the heater is under warranty and will be replaced by the manufacturer. You have to pay for its installation. It either leaks from the safety valve or the tank. Put a glass under the safety valve to catch any water from the pipe and if the pan still gets water in it then it is the tank.