"Geyser se paani tapak raha hai, kya yeh fat jayega?" This is a fair question to ask, and the honest answer depends entirely on which part is leaking and how. A small drip from one specific valve is completely normal. A different kind of leak, or no leak at all combined with certain warning signs, is genuinely dangerous. This guide tells you which is which.
Switch off the geyser at the main switch immediately and don't touch the unit. A rumbling or knocking sound combined with heat means pressure is building up dangerously. Call a technician right away — don't wait to read the rest of this article first.
What Is the PRV and Why It Drips
Every storage geyser has a Pressure Relief Valve (PRV), usually a small valve on the side or bottom of the unit, sometimes with a small pipe leading outward or downward. Its job is simple: when water inside the tank heats up, it expands, and pressure builds. The PRV's entire purpose is to release a small amount of that pressure by letting a bit of water escape, preventing the tank from over-pressurizing.
Because of this, a little dripping from the PRV during or right after the heating cycle is not a fault — it's the valve doing exactly what it's designed to do.
A few drops or a thin trickle from the PRV specifically during heating, that stops once the water reaches set temperature, is expected behavior — especially in geysers that are a few years old or in areas with harder water.
When PRV Behavior Becomes a Real Concern
- Continuous flow, not just drips — if water keeps coming out steadily even after the heating cycle finishes, the valve seal has likely worn out and needs replacement
- Loud hissing along with the leak — this can mean the valve is struggling to release pressure fast enough, which is a sign pressure is higher than it should be
- No leak at all, but the tank feels unusually hot on the outside or makes knocking sounds — this is actually more concerning than a leak, because it suggests the PRV may be stuck closed and not releasing pressure when it should
Counterintuitively, a PRV that never drips at all over months of regular use is more worth checking than one that drips normally. If it's stuck shut, it won't be able to release pressure when it needs to, which is the actual mechanism behind serious geyser pressure incidents.
What Actually Causes a Geyser to Become Dangerous
A geyser becoming genuinely hazardous is almost always a combination of two failures happening together, not just one: the thermostat failing to cut off heating at the set temperature, combined with the PRV failing to release the resulting excess pressure. Either fault alone is usually manageable — together, pressure can build well beyond safe limits.
This is why a thermostat that seems to be "running a bit hot" or "taking longer to cut off than usual" combined with a PRV that hasn't been checked in years is worth addressing proactively rather than waiting for both to fail at once.
Quick Self-Check You Can Do Today
- Locate your PRV — usually a small lever or knob-style valve near the bottom or side of the tank, sometimes with a short outlet pipe
- Run the geyser through a normal heating cycle and observe if there's a small drip during heating — that's fine
- Check if dripping continues well after the water has reached temperature — if yes, the valve seal needs attention
- Feel the outer casing — it should be warm, not hot to touch, and shouldn't be making knocking or rumbling sounds
Repair Cost for PRV and Related Issues
| Issue | Fix | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| PRV valve replacement | New valve, fitted | ₹300 – ₹600 |
| Thermostat replacement | New thermostat, calibrated | ₹350 – ₹650 |
| Both PRV + thermostat together | Combined service visit | ₹600 – ₹1,100 |
| Full safety inspection only | No parts, diagnosis visit | ₹99 – ₹150 |
How Often Should You Get This Checked?
For a geyser in regular daily use, a basic safety check covering the PRV and thermostat once a year is a reasonable habit, similar to how you'd service an AC before summer. Geysers older than 6-7 years benefit from a check every 6 months, since both the valve seal and thermostat contacts degrade with age and usage cycles.
In areas with harder water, sediment can settle inside the tank over time and interfere with the thermostat's ability to sense temperature accurately, sometimes causing it to keep heating longer than it should. A periodic tank flush, done during routine service, helps both heating efficiency and safety.
What to Do Right Now If You're Unsure
If you've read this and you're still not sure whether what you're seeing is the normal drip or the concerning kind, the safest move is simple: switch off the geyser's power supply, and don't switch it back on until it's been checked. A geyser that's switched off poses no pressure risk at all. There's no urgency to use it again before getting it looked at.
Get a Geyser Safety Check Today
PRV and thermostat inspection — same day visit. Don't wait on this one.