Find the cold water valve on top of the heater and turn it clockwise until it stops. This keeps more water from feeding the leak.
On a gas unit, turn the dial to "pilot" or "off." On an electric unit, flip its breaker. A leaking tank should not keep heating.
Boxes, laundry, and paper soak up fast. Lift them out of the garage or closet where the heater sits.
Dry the floor, then watch. Drips from the drain valve or the pipe up top may be a simple fix. Water seeping from the base of the tank usually is not.
Most tanks in Watsonville homes live in the garage or a hall closet. When you spot a puddle underneath, the first job is telling a repair from a replacement. A drip at the drain valve, a loose fitting, or water running down from the temperature relief pipe can often be tightened or swapped out. But if the water is welling up from under the tank itself, the steel liner has corroded, and no patch will hold it.
Tanks in our area tend to wear out from the inside. Minerals in the water settle at the bottom and speed up rust over the years. Homes closer to the coast in La Selva Beach, Rio del Mar, and Aptos also deal with salt air, which is hard on the metal jacket and fittings. Once a tank starts leaking from the base, it rarely gets better. It gets worse fast.
When your plumber arrives, they'll find the true source, check the age and condition of the tank, and look at the shutoff, the relief valve, and the venting on gas units. If it's time for a new one, they'll size it to your household and make sure the connections and drain pan are done right so the next one lasts. If it's a fixable part, you'll know that too.
Treat a bottom leak as urgent. A full tank holds a lot of water, and a slow seep can become a burst overnight, soaking drywall, flooring, and anything stored nearby. If you can't find the shutoff or the water won't stop, call and get a plumber headed your way.
Describe what you're seeing to a real Watsonville plumber: call (831) 555-0130 or send the form. Free, no obligation.