1) Your water heater needs to be replaced.
It cannot be repaired.
Tanks rust out after anode rod is depleted unless anode is inspected and replaced 1-3 years.
Water softener causes anode to deplete quicker, so inspect every 2 years.
Also stray household current can cause tank to rust out. Put bare copper ground wire between hot and cold pipes on new heater.
2) First thing is protect yourself from tank rupture where water heater bursts open and water runs until it's shut off. Ruptured tanks are big topic in homeowner insurance industry today because they cause major damage inside house.
- Turn off heat source so tank is not under pressure:
Gas: Rotate dial to pilot so pilot light stays lit, but burner does not turn on
Electric: turn off circuit breaker
- Turn off water going into tank using shut off above tank.
- Open hot side to bathtub to relieve pressure from tank.
- Check label on side of tank to get tank specifications for replacement.
3) What to do until replacement.
You can get by for a while on leaking tank by turning it ON only when needed.
Make sure tank is full of water before turning heat source back on.
This will buy time until replacement.
Electric tank heats 21 gallons water per hour.
Gas water heater 41 gallons per hour
Shower uses 6-9 gallons hot water, bath uses 12-15 gallon hot water.
4) Additional reading so next tank lasts longer
http://waterheatertimer.org/Replace-anode-rod.html
http://waterheatertimer.org/9-ways-to-save-with-water-heater.html
http://waterheatertimer.org/Water-at-bottom-of-water-heater.html
Time for you to get a new GE water heater as patching this won't suffice.
I trust you when you say patching won't suffice. Can you explain why it would not suffice?
Cause its rusting from the inside out. Your supposed to drain these things once a month to keep sediment buildup and corrosion to a minimum and prolong the life of the heater, but nobody does it cause it's a hassle.
Make sure you use a dielectric union on your next install to keep the corrosion in check.
You didn't mention what brand you got: Bradford or American?
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