Most water heaters here sit in the basement, next to the boiler or furnace and the boxes stored on the floor. When the tank bottom rusts through or a fitting fails, it empties 40 to 80 gallons and then keeps flowing from the cold supply until someone closes the valve.
How the crew handles a tank failure
The tech who does the walkthrough confirms the cold supply is closed and the gas or power to the heater is off, then maps how far the water spread across the slab and into finished rooms.
- The extraction crew pulls standing water from the slab and any carpeted areas
- The crew lifts stored boxes, papers and furniture out of the wet zone
- Wet drywall bottoms in finished basements get a flood cut so the cavity can dry
- Air movers and a dehumidifier go in, sized to the space



