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Avoid a Costly Flood With a Water Heater Pan

February 19, 2023

Water Heater Pans: Avoid a Costly Flood!

Plumbing technician by a Water Heater Pan to avoid plumbing damages for blog "Avoid a Costly Flood With a Water Heater Pan"At Robins Plumbing, we believe in providing our clients with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions regarding the plumbing in their homes. As such, we would like to take the opportunity to educate you on the importance of a water heater pan and the vital role it plays in your home.

What Is It?

A water heater pan that is installed correctly can provide a valuable service to homeowners in avoiding property damage caused by leaking water heaters. Our experience with thousands of installations has shown that a small investment of time to educate homeowners on the importance of a water heater pan can be highly beneficial.

So, what is it? A water heater pan is a tray designed to capture any water that may leak from a water heater. It is usually made of metal and installed beneath the water heater to catch any water that may leak from the tank, such as from a broken fitting, a faulty valve, or a damaged tank. The water heater pan is designed to prevent water damage to the surrounding area and should be checked regularly to ensure that it is not blocked or overflowing.

Avoid Tragic Situations

A client recently contacted us with a report of water damage in their garage due to their water heater failing overnight. Initially, they believed the damage was only localized in the garage, but the water often finds the path of least resistance and travels further than expected. As our homes are primarily constructed of absorbent materials such as drywall, wood, and insulation, the water had spread to multiple rooms before being noticed.

Our client had to live in a hotel room for eight weeks with her husband and newborn while her home has been under massive reconstruction. All this could have been avoided with the simple use of a water heater pan!

Education is Key

We eventually returned to our client’s home to install a new water heater. During the visit, we took the time to explain the importance of having a water heater pan—an item the client was not aware of—as well as our recommendation for installation. Our client was grateful for the information and showed appreciation for our efforts to keep her informed on her home’s needs. She commented that if someone had mentioned the pan earlier, her home would not have sustained the damage it did.

If Your Water Heater Does Not Have A Pan

Is your water heater more than 6 years old and does not currently have a water heater pan? If so, we want to encourage you to check your water heater for moisture or rust every month. When it is time to replace your water heater we highly recommend having a water heater pan properly installed at the time of replacement. Proper installation includes having the drain line run from the water heater pan to a safe location for the water to drain if your water heater decides to leak in the future. Unfortunately, we too often see water heater pans just placed under a water heater but never connected. This defeats the purpose and it’s just like putting a saucer under your coffee cup, as the saucer can only hold so much water before it overflows.

At Robins Plumbing, we are passionate about plumbing, and we are passionate about educating our clients. With education, clients can make the best decision for them with the right information. We aren’t out to sell you things you don’t need so we can make a sales quota. Our mission is to have you breathe a sigh of relief knowing that you have finally found a plumber YOU can trust 24 hours a day!” Contact our team to get started working with us today!

Services in Phoenix & Beyond

When you’ve found yourself in need of plumbing services in the Phoenix, Glendale, Scottsdale, or Chandler area, you can trust Robins Plumbing to provide you with prompt and expert care, contact our team today! In addition to our toilet services, we also offer a variety of residential and commercial plumbing services, including drain cleaning, water heater repair and replacement, sewer camera inspection and locating, backflow prevention, commercial and residential jetting, water treatments, and more. Visit our reviews online to see what others have to say about our local plumbing company!

We Specialize in All Your Plumbing Needs

Below are just a few of the services we offer.

We are licensed, bonded and insured experts here to help you with all of your residential plumbing needs.

We are licensed, bonded and insured experts here to help you with all of your commercial plumbing needs and we will get your business back up and running.

From whole home filtration systems to just having clean purified water at your kitchen sink, we're here.

You can count on us to handle your drain cleaning with quick, affordable and reliable service.