what?

It would just be TOO MUCH of a coincidence if my water heater broke at precisely the same time as I was wrapping the pipe. I just can't believe it, yet...

According to the label on the water heater, it is 21 years old. So it shouldn't be surprising if it were to fail, at such an age.

But... I came home, and the water was still warm when I washed my face. Then I went down in the basement and wrapped about 2 feet of the hot water pipe where it exits the heater, with insulation. Then I noticed that the ground under the water heater was a bit moist... I did not recall if it was that way the other times I've been in the basement.

I recalled when we had to replace the water heater at Forestfen's house... it had rusted through at the seams, and water/vapor was spritzing out of it when we had the hot water running... the ground under the water heater was quite wet, by the time we noticed it.

Not wanting things to go that far, in case my water heater here was also leaking, I decided to turn on some faucets in the house, and watch the heater for signs of leakage. I didn't see any leaks, but then thought that maybe it only happens when the heater is actively heating the water. So I went and turned on the tub hot water faucet, on high, to get the water heater to turn on.

But it didn't turn on. When I went back in the house, I noticed that the water was running cold!! No hot water!

Ehhh???

I know I couldn't have accidentally hit some knob or button on the heater to cause this, I just know it... But...???

The knobs were still showing on, not off. So what could it be? I did not smell any gas, so there wasn't a gas leak...

Maybe the pilot flame went out? But how? Why? I did not touch the gas pipe.

Eh?

annoying automated voice-prompt telephone system

Ow. Apparently, screaming at full force gives me a headache.

less confused

Looks like the leaking water must have extinguished the pilot light in the water heater. Still a coincidence that this happened on the same day as I chose to insulate the pipe.

less of coincidence

I just remembered, the reason I had gone into the basement last weekend, was because while I was taking a shower, the water pressure dropped inexplicably, and I wanted to make sure no pipes had burst. I didn't find any leaking pipes, but it was while I was in the basement that I got the idea of insulating the pipes from the water heater. That drop in water pressure during the shower could well have been the first sign of the heater failing.