Think of it as an airbag...I'm pretty sure it's a one-time use thing. Once the spring and seat get wet, I don't think they could guarantee it to work again if it was rebuilt...maybe, I'm not sure. You can retrofit a dam around the existing WH, but that only works on a slab. Otherwise, you need a pan whose outlet will allow enough water to pool before it drains to trigger the thing (about 1/2"). It uses the same thing as the emergency floatation vests in airplanes...they sit around (hopefully) unused for years before needed...when it hits the water, it opens the valve to the CO2 cartridge to inflate the thing once it (quickly) dissolves the pellet that normally stops the trigger mechanism.