A water loss occurred at a residence when a water heater catastrophically failed. An ACS Engineer was hired to investigate. The drain valve to the water heater was removed by hand, not requiring tools. The failure was due to corrosion to the tank of the water heater. The corrosion extended upwards from the failure point to just below the valve, which was determined to be the origin. The maintenance record for the water heater showed that the last person to remove the valve was a contractor performing an inspection. ACS’ Engineer determined that the contractor hand-tightened the valve after inspecting it, contrary to manufacturer’s specifications. The small resulting leak ultimately caused the water heater’s failure.
Here’s a useful informational video of issues to watch for: