Leak detection and automatic shutoff

Leak protection comes in two forms. A sensor in the drain pan or at the heater base detects water and either alarms or closes an automatic shutoff valve on the cold supply, which limits a leak to the water already in the tank and pipes. Some electronic tank controls integrate the detection: Bradford White's ICON System V1 documents a six-flash pattern meaning water detected by the accessory module, with the manual's checks running from the relief valve to a full tank pressure test.

Automatic shutoff does not replace maintenance: the sensors need testing, the shutoff valve needs exercise, and a tank leak still means a replacement. What it adds is time, by stopping the flow before a small failure becomes floor and ceiling damage.

Condos, suites above finished space, and homes with valuable lower levels specify leak protection because a tank failure there damages more than the tank room. Strata requirements increasingly ask for it, and the installation is priced as an option on the estimate rather than assumed.