Rant: My new water heater flooded the garage on a Sunday

I got a tankless water heater installed last month and found a puddle under it after a 20 minute shower this weekend. Turns out the inlet valve wasn't tightened all the way and vibrated loose over time. Anyone else have luck fixing their own water heater leaks or should I just call the installer back?

2 comments

2 Comments

martin.vera22d ago

My buddy Mike had a tankless unit do the exact same thing last summer. He came home from work and found a slow drip from the inlet connection that turned into a steady stream over a few days. He tried tightening it himself with a pipe wrench but ended up cracking the plastic fitting because he overdid it. Then he had to call the installer anyway and pay extra for the busted part plus a Sunday emergency fee. So from that story, I'd say just call the installer back. They should fix it for free since it's only been a month and it's clearly their mistake.

the_elizabeth21d ago

You said "they should fix it for free" but that assumes the installer is even still around. A lot of these cheap tankless companies fold within a few months, so you might be on your own anyway. Plus, if Mike cracked the fitting himself, that's on him not the original install, and honestly a little diy tightening is normal if you want to avoid waiting a week for a service call.