As the water is heated it will expand if the over flow pipe is blocked it can and may burst your water heater.
Why is my water heater leaking from the overflow pipe.
The drain valve is also become the cause of water leakage if the drainpipe or water heater overflow pipe water heater is loose.
If it leaks water all the time depending on whether it is a storage heater or instantaneous low pressure type the pressure relief valve may be faulty which is a fairly common problem on an older heater replacements are readily available on the low pressure type it is common to have a small header tank with a ball valve a bit like a small toilet cistern if so the valve maybe.
When an overflow pipe is dripping or running with water one of the most common causes is a problem with a float valve.
This vent needs to be cleaned regularly or it can become clogged.
When this happens water can build up and overflow.
It starts from the slowly leaking of the water with the passage of time it become heavy flow of water with the pressure.
Most homeowners may mistake it as leaks but this is actually one of two possible scenarios.
Since the condensate overflow pipe for air conditioners looks similar the vertical pipe on water heaters is often confused for an overflow pipe.
In some cases you may notice a leak coming from what looks like an overflow pipe attached to your water heater.
Your water heater is working as it should and releasing water as a safety measure or water is leaking because the t p valve overflow pipe or even both are malfunctioning.
Float valves are found in toilet cisterns cold water tanks and central heating feed and expansion tanks.
In addition to causing water damage in the area around the water heater a water leak typically indicates a more serious problem with your san antonio water heater.