If your water heater is leaking, do this first: locate the cold-water supply valve on the line entering the top of the tank and turn it clockwise to shut it off. Then turn off the power — flip the circuit breaker for an electric heater, or turn the gas valve to “Pilot” on a gas unit. These two steps stop the water flow and eliminate the energy source, buying you time to assess the situation without active damage accumulating. Then call a licensed plumber.
Mark Johnson & Sons Plumbing handles water heater leaks across Shreveport and Northwest Louisiana. Here’s everything you need to know — where leaks come from, which situations require immediate professional response, and how to protect your home while you wait for a technician.
Step 1: Shut Off the Water Supply
The cold-water supply shut-off valve is almost always located directly above the water heater, on the cold-water inlet pipe (the one feeding into the top of the tank, typically on the right side when facing the unit). It’s usually a gate valve or ball valve.
- Ball valve: Quarter-turn handle — turn it so the handle is perpendicular to the pipe (90 degrees from its normal position). You’ll feel it stop.
- Gate valve: Round wheel handle — turn clockwise until it stops. This may take several full rotations.
If the shut-off valve at the water heater is corroded and won’t turn — which happens with older units that haven’t been serviced in years — go to your home’s main water shut-off and close that instead. Do not force a corroded valve; forcing a damaged valve can snap the stem and make the situation worse.
Once the supply is off, water may still drain from the tank for a while — a standard 40-gallon tank holds 40 gallons. That’s normal. The active inflow has stopped.
Step 2: Turn Off the Power Source
Electric water heater: Find the dedicated circuit breaker for the water heater in your electrical panel — it’s typically a double-pole breaker labeled “water heater” or “WH.” Flip it to the off position. Do not leave an electric water heater energized with an empty or partially-empty tank — the heating elements will burn out rapidly without water to absorb the heat.
Gas water heater: Locate the gas control valve on the front of the unit, below the thermostat dial. Turn it to “Pilot.” This keeps the pilot light on but prevents the main burner from firing. If you smell gas — a rotten egg or sulfur odor — do not operate any switches or flames. Leave the building and call your gas utility from outside before calling a plumber.
Where Is the Leak Coming From? That Changes Everything.
Not all water heater leaks have the same urgency or the same solution. The source tells you what you’re dealing with:
Inlet or outlet fittings (top of the tank): The cold-water inlet and hot-water outlet connections at the top of the tank are common leak points. Connections can loosen over time, especially with temperature cycling. A drip from a fitting is often fixable without replacing the entire unit — a licensed plumber can tighten or replace the connection. This is the best-case scenario when you see water at a water heater.
Temperature and pressure relief valve (T&P valve): The T&P valve is a safety device mounted on the side of the tank with a discharge pipe running downward. It’s designed to release water if the tank reaches dangerously high temperature or pressure. If the T&P valve is discharging water:
- Small amounts of water occasionally (during heating cycles) may indicate the valve is working as designed in response to normal pressure expansion — but it may also indicate the valve is beginning to fail and needs replacement.
- Steady or significant discharge from the T&P valve indicates the tank may be over-pressurizing or overheating. This is a safety issue that requires immediate professional assessment. Do not cap or plug a discharging T&P valve.
Drain valve (at the base of the tank): A slow drip from the plastic or brass drain valve at the bottom of the tank is common in older units. The valve may have been disturbed during a tank flush or may have degraded seals. This is usually a valve replacement — not a full unit replacement — though a plumber should inspect the overall tank condition while they’re there.
Tank body itself: If water is seeping from the tank’s exterior walls, seams, or base and it’s clearly not a fitting or valve, the tank has developed an internal corrosion failure. Once a steel tank is leaking through its body, it cannot be repaired — replacement is the only option. At this point, the question is how quickly, not whether.
In Shreveport, tank body leaks are one of the most common emergency calls we respond to in the summer months — the combination of high water usage during heat and the thermal expansion and contraction cycle in extreme temperatures accelerates the failure timeline for tanks that are already aging.
Step 3: Contain the Water
While you wait for a plumber to arrive, limit secondary damage:
- Place towels around the base of the unit to absorb active drips
- If there’s significant standing water, use a wet/dry vac or mop and bucket to remove it — particularly if it’s pooling near electrical outlets, the water heater’s electrical connection, or near flooring that can warp or grow mold if saturated
- Move any stored items away from the leak zone — utility rooms in Shreveport homes often double as storage spaces, and water-damaged boxes or materials compound the cleanup
- Leave interior doors open to promote airflow and slow mold development if the area has gotten wet
Do not place items directly in the water path to redirect it — this often redirects water toward worse locations. Contain, don’t redirect.
Common Mistakes Shreveport Homeowners Make During a Water Heater Leak
We see a few recurring mistakes that turn a manageable leak into a bigger problem:
Waiting to see if it gets worse. Water heater leaks don’t stabilize — they progress. A dripping fitting becomes a steady stream. A slow tank seep becomes a tank failure. If your water heater is actively leaking, schedule the call today, not next week.
Turning off gas at the meter before calling the utility. If you smell gas, leave first, call your gas utility from outside, and let them clear the line before anyone — including a plumber — works on the unit. Gas line safety is not a DIY first step.
Trying to patch the tank body. There is no effective DIY patch for a corroded steel tank. Epoxy, tape, and sealant products marketed for this purpose do not hold under a tank that’s under pressure and cycling between hot and cold. If the tank body is leaking, replacement is the answer.
Not checking the age of the unit before deciding to repair. A water heater showing its first symptom at eight years old is a repair candidate. The same symptom on a 14-year-old unit is a replacement conversation. Ask your plumber for a straight assessment based on the unit’s age and condition — a good plumber will tell you when repair isn’t the smart move.
Emergency Water Heater Response in Shreveport, LA
Mark Johnson & Sons Plumbing serves Shreveport and Northwest Louisiana with 24/7 emergency response for water heater failures, leaks, and replacements. When a leaking water heater is flooding your utility room at 10 p.m., you need a plumber who answers and arrives.
We’ve been providing water heater repair and emergency water heater replacement across Shreveport since 1997. As a veteran-owned company with five licensed technicians, BBB A+ accreditation since 2012, and approximately 2,990 five-star Google reviews from customers across Northern Louisiana, we show up prepared to diagnose and resolve the problem in a single visit whenever possible.
Call our Shreveport office at (318) 545-7004 for emergency water heater service. We’ll dispatch a technician, walk you through the immediate safety steps over the phone if needed, and give you an honest assessment of repair vs. replacement when we arrive. See our full range of emergency plumbing services across the Shreveport-Bossier area.
— Charlie Gray, Master Plumber
Mark Johnson & Sons Plumbing | Est. 1997 | BBB A+ | Veteran-Owned
Serving Shreveport, Bossier City, Monroe, and Northern Louisiana
