Linus… be nice. He is a General Contractor. Wind Mit Inspector, Photographer, Charter Boat captain…
Wendy? Wendy? :mrgreen:
Post more pics. It looks like your copper piping is a ticking time bomb. I would love to see what lies beyond the top of that heater
Bite me to all the haters. My only question of the setup is the corrosion and the cause. If you do not wish to offer useful advice on that then go watch t.v or something. By the way that was the way it was when I bought it as is . I knew the guy who owned the house and he told me that his pal just slapped it in. the corriosion did not start untill after I owned it.
I guess I will find an inkling of kindness and answer your question the best I can. I will try to type slow.
The rust you see is the result of galvanic corrosion (different metal corrosion for those who don’t know big words) It is a chemical reaction when certain metals come in contact with each other. The end result is your water heater, which I would guess should be at least 10 years old, unless like my previous post stated, you have a little more sulfur in the water which I would think would add fuel to the fire. They sell this cute little adapter at lowes called a dielectric union which isolates the connection and prevents what you have.
There is no crystal ball on this corrosion process. I have inspected WH’s 15 years old with no corrosion and I have seen some 6 years with lots. I think the amount of tape or pipe dope has a certain factor involved.
Now the best part is if your galvanized nipples are threaded into the tank, you might have a good chance of replacing them, but if the tank has welded stub outs then you risk the chance of destroying them ( which you can do with the threaded anyway if its been leaking enough)
I would listen to jeff and fix it all. The tpr valve should be replaced and the extension replaced also. that is the real hazard. Google WH explosions to see.
Make sure you hire a real plumber. He could actualy teach you somthing.
That is not a dielectric issue guys.
Look at the hot side galv nipple with the Teflon tape and see how clean it is?
Could be a bad sacraficial anode though or the toilet above the tank on the first floor…
Seriously though look at the clear plastic disc that looks rusted inside.
A Certified home inspector. :shock: 
Bob,
The whole tank is rusty. If the water is corroding the connections the the anode more than likely is bad also. Thats why I said he might be shopping this weekend.
I have a freind in FL who said when he was a kid they never had a water heater. One would only last a few years on well water. The sulfur would eat them up. So they just took cold ones. It never gets that cold anyway.
OK , but I do not think it is a dielectric issue here.
Sean thanks that is what I suspected and did not know of the fix. Bob you lost me, it is a 1 story and in the utility room.
Whate else then. Please explain.
I see what bob is talking about. The one side is clean, its the other side you cant see that is all rusty. That one could be the culprit. either way they dont exisit, and if the anode is bad to cause that rust i would wager the tank will be leaking soon
Now we are getting somewhere. I see no other corrosion so I assume the leak will be coming from that area. That is exactly what I was afraid of and I do not see a way to fix. So do you guys think the rust is coming from inside and unfixable or from the outside and maybe fixable?
If you study the picture, you’ll notice staining on the cold side that runs to the TPR. While the hot side has some corrosion, the other two are more pronounced. It’s not uncommon for the cold side to have more than a little bit of condensation on it. That will cause rust, and it will cause staining that looks like that… My guess is that there is a moisture issue (after all you are in Florida.) It could be coming from the inside, but I think it is just as likely from the outside.
If you don’t have water on the floor, I’d just keep an eye on it, and replace it when it starts to really leak.
How old is the heater?
My house is extremly dry due to running the a/c all the time. My wife can almost dry a rose in a vase of water.
only 5 years old. I have never noticed condensation in the area.
You probably have a leak on the cold side and need to get it fixed.
Thanks, I will try to clean it up and see what I can tell. I appreciate every one’s help.
Definitely pet stains. I’ve seen it a hundred times, with dogs peeing on…
Oh wait. I’m sorry… wrong thread.:mrgreen:
that would be one big a-s dog :mrgreen: