A Redditor took to the r/Plumbing subreddit in a desperate attempt to get help after they discovered a water heater was leaking all over their floor.

The user shared a picture of a water heater with water gushing from it and further detailed their plight.

"Hi, I noticed a massive [amount of] deep water in less than an hour, and when I went to see it was coming powerfully from the water heater," they explained.

"I turned off the main valve for now, but what could have gone wrong? Please help. It's coming from the shield."

The picture painted a grim vision of what went wrong; water was pouring from behind the small shield on the front of a rust-covered tank. It was clear that the user's water heater was beyond saving.

It's a situation no one wants to find themselves in. As posters advised, it's important to turn off the valve as the OP did and replace the water heater as soon as possible. Water heaters, especially older and cheaper models (worse still where there is hard water), do not last forever.

The silver lining of needing to replace a water heater — hopefully not with such urgency as the OP experienced — is it is at least the perfect opportunity to upgrade to a more efficient heat pump water heater system.

Heat pumps use less energy, drawing heat from the air to get your water hot, and the smart heat pump from Cala takes things a step further.

Cala's system monitors energy prices in your area — and your peak hot water usage periods — to use the little electricity it does use when it's most affordable and convenient, ensuring you have hot water when you need it at the lowest possible price.

The company estimates it saves owners anywhere from $2,000 to $7,000 over the lifetime of the product, depending on what type of traditional water heater it would be purchased instead of.

How old is your current water heater? 10 years or older 😬 5 to 10 years old 🙂 Less than 5 years old 😎 I have no idea 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

If you have a sudden need for four times as much hot water usage than normal in a short period of time, it can still draw power like a normal water heater to keep up with the additional demand. These large tanks typically supply more than enough hot water for any needs, though, and thus the savings show up quickly.

With the Inflation Reduction Act, you can save up to $2,000 on the installation of a new heat pump water heater, but you need to act quickly. The "Big Beautiful Bill" eliminates the IRA's benefit programs early, meaning you must install your water heater by the end of 2025 to qualify for the available tax credits and rebates before they're gone for good.

Commenters were quick to inform the poster that there was no hope for their ailing water heater.

"Yeah, you need a new water heater," said one. "There's no way to fix a water heater with a hole."

"Cut the power, call a plumber," another advised. "Hook a hose up to the drain and direct as much water as possible down the sewer."

"How old is the water heater?" asked a third. "That rust is not a new development. It has been actively leaking for quite awhile."

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