water heater relief valve question

[sunliner]

the pressure valve on my water heater is leaking. plumber is coming tomorrow but I want to stop my water loss as much as possible until he can get here. Will it hurt the heater if I turn off the water supply to the heater?the pressure valve is higher than the upper element so I don't think it will hurt anything (water level shouldn't go below that) but I wanted to check

 

[Matt30]

For your safety, turn off power to the tank and shut off water to the tank

 

[phishfood]

^what he said. It is entirely possible that you have a dangerous situation occurring that the valve is protecting against.

 

[sunliner]

Done. Water temp seems normal but you're right...Better safe than sorry. Thanks

 

[srloren]

If the water heater is older, you may want to replace it with a newer low energy tank and temperature/pressure relief valve. Water heaters can last anywhere from 5 to 30 years. 30 being very rare... usually 10 to 12 years is average life expectancy. Your mileage will vary....

 

[sunliner]

I turned the breaker off and shut the supply off about 8:00 last night. This morning about 7:00, the area around the discharge outlet is still warm and wet. Figured it would have stopped by then. Will let plumber know when he shows,