Water from a flexible gas line? Help me find a water leak.

[Pilot]

Can't find the source of a water leak.

Furnace, water heater, well pressure tank and water treatment tank stand all in a row, close enough together that access between and behind them is limited. Furnace & water heater are propane fueled. Water heater is almost 5 years old, pressure tank 3 years. Water feed line is PVC running about 3" above the floor in front of the furnace and water heater--the routing is another story and not relevant.

I have maybe a 1/2 quart of water on the garage floor, mostly under the pressure tank, and the concrete blocks under the water heater are wet with mineral deposits for about 3" up. I found water on the PVC line, which is located below the fuel line and I found water on the flexible propane line to the water heater, which is the highest wet point above the floor. This flexible line is connected to a solid iron pipe which has no moisture. No water staining on the sheet rock on the ceiling.

Dried the PVC line and propane line and continue to get water from the propane line. How can that happen? I doubt that condensation on the line would put as much water on the floor as I am getting and the iron pipe is hardly cool.

Looking under the pressure tank with a flashlight, looking thru narrow slots, the plumbing connections look good, but that's about all I can see. They are the lowest spot of the tank except for the support ring. Water under there could easily have come from somewhere else.

To summarize: Highest wet area is the propane line. PVC line stays dry. Find no water when feeling around under water heater. Pressure tank & water heater are only a few years old.

Help!

 

[powerpace]

I'm thinking condensation. Gas lines are under pressure till the very end when the pressure is lowed for use in a appliance. This cools the gas and moisture in the air condenses on the pipe. It could happen on the water pipes as well.


Propane fired water heaters also produce condensate.

Troubleshooting Water Heater Condensation

Pressure relief valves can also leak.

Try a mirror to look under and behind.

Is this area heated?

 

[Pilot]

Update:

Area is not heated, but is warmer than outside, rarely below 45 degrees.

I dried the area as well as I could, then set a box fan blowing all evening. After that, propane line was dry, water line was dry, everything was dry except the floor was still damp and inside the support ring of the water heater which had a few droplets I could find with my fingers. I had found a little there a day ago, but not earlier today.

Hmmm...

 

[dave1949]

Not unusual for pressure tanks to sweat, that would account for the mineral deposits.

You could have a leak in the water heater. Water escapes from the inner tank and is trapped inside the jacket until it overflows somewhere, the lowest opening might be the gas line.

 

[oosik]

I'm also thinking condensation. The burning of propane does cause a lot of condensation. Try drying around & under each appliance to isolate the one causing the water. Develop a controlled plan to attack & isolate each appliance - one at a time and you will surely find the culprit. If after the offender is found you may have to call a repair person to determine - a leak or condensation. It its condensation - many times an aftermarket insulation blanket or pipe insulation will resolve this situation.

 

[MikeInEburg]

I would make a plastic water-catcher out if a trash bag - rug it below the gas pipe to see if that's the source of water.

 

[woodlandfarms]

Our water heater went somewhat like the method you described. It rotted in the bottom, no way to view it. slow drip. sucked.

 

[dmccarty]

If there are minerals from the leaking water, that says water supply. not condensation. The condensation should not have minerals in the water.

How about putting down some paper and checking every hour. The drips should show which device is leaking/dripping water.

Later,
Dan

 

[Pilot]

Found the leak!!

Box fan dried the area pretty well. Felt inside the water heater support ring and found water with a little bit of minerals. Repeated the check 2 or 3 times, found water each time and now it is collecting on the floor under the water heater, but hasn't run far enough to get to the pressure tank.

I presume the reason I didn't find it every time I checked under the water heater is that when the it ran, the heat dried the water, so I suppose the leak is higher up. That leaves condensation the source of water on the supply line. Makes me wonder why I found no condensation o the flex line going to the furnace, but I'm not going to worry about that.

 

[dave1949]

If there are minerals from the leaking water, that says water supply. not condensation. The condensation should not have minerals in the water.
Later,
Dan

Pilot, glad you are zeroing-in on your leak.

Dan, I think the process is that pressure tank and supply line condensation drips/oozes onto the cement blocks/concrete. That leaches minerals out of those and when it dries, you see the white colored residue. Well water is usually cold enough to easily cause condensation on the surfaces of the pipes and tanks holding it, in the summer especially when the air is warmer and more humid.