If so this is where hot water is leaking out of the tank.
Pressure relief valve thru attic from hot water heater.
To remove a t p valve first turn off the electricity or gas and wait for the water to cool which usually takes about 24 hours open a hot water faucet near the heater to release pressure and drain the tank until the water level is below the valve disconnect the overflow tube you may have to cut it and unscrew the valve with a wrench wrap plumbing tape around the threads of the freshly.
The second reason a water heater relief valve leaks is the water has gotten too hot if the temperature of the water in the water heater reaches above 210 degrees f the relief valve will leak or even blow off this is why the outlet of the relief valve must be piped to about 6 inches from the ground you would not want to get a blast of 210.
Here are other things to pay attention to.
If all goes well a tpr valve never gets used except during testing.
Then touch the drain line with your hand to see if it feels warm.
If you open the drain valve at the bottom of the water heater and open the pressure relief valve and or the hot water side of a faucet water should drain out.
On the side or top of your water heater tank is a valve connected to a metal or plastic discharge tube pointing downward.
Check for water pooling around the tank.
The temperature and pressure relief valve on your water heater is a crucial component of your water heater that should never be removed or disabled.
Hire a plumber to determine the cause of the leak and replace the hot water heater pressure relief valve if necessary.
In the example below an upper pressure relief valve drain not visible behind vent connector has been tied into the drain for the lower one.
The pipe leaving the relief valve should be the same diameter as the exhaust port of the valve usually 3 4 inch.
The valve is called a t p valve or tpr valve for temperature and pressure relief.
If the valve is doing its job and hot water is dripping or spewing out of the tpr drain valve turn down the temperature on the water heater controller and or turn down the water pressure.
4 termination of the discharge piping can be to any of the following.
Rooter plumbing for water heater repair.
For more on this.
Proper maintenance should include periodic testing of this valve.
The pressure relief valve is an important safety component of a water heater and a malfunction can have disastrous consequences.