Detecting Home Plumbing Water Leaks

The damage created by water leaks is sometimes much worse than we realize. If action isn’t taken, water leaks can slowly damage foundations and destroy homes. Unfortunately, they’re common. And until major damage has happened, many people aren’t able to identify the origin of the water.

However, you can know you have a leak because of a pool of water, a trickling sound, or an unusually high water bill. But knowing you have a leak isn’t enough if you don’t know where it is!

Leaks are often well hidden and almost undetectable to the average person or trade worker Without the proper equipment, skill, and experience,  water dripping or leaking can remain unnoticed for a long time. Water leaks can happen inside of walls, under floors and underground, behind cabinets or in areas that are not seen often, if ever. For example inside your attic or crawl space.

If you’re trying to hunt down a leak, try these tips:

Determine the Leak Point

A water leak can happen inside or outside your house. To find out if your leak is indoors, shut off the main water valve, which is usually located outside or in a basement or garage. Once the main water valve is shut off, check the water meter to see if it’s still moving. Chances are that the leak is outside your building if the meter is moving. If the meter is still, the leak is more likely to be inside your house. This is the first step to detecting water leaks.

Look for Color Changes

Water stains and mold on the ceiling, walls, and floors give hints to where your leak might be. The cabinets under sinks should also be inspected for discolored areas. Water seepage often makes an area darker when it’s damp, and then unusually light after it’s dried. Or just leaves a ring at the farthest out border that the spreading water reached.

Sniff it Out

Water leaks can also create an odor as a sign of a broken pipe in the wall or ceiling. This is because of the rot and mold that spread around the leak. If you have a musty smell that you can’t explain, sniff out where the smell is the strongest and look in that area for your water leak.

Examine Likely Places

There are a number of fixtures that form a plumbing system. An ideal approach is to regularly inspect all the reachable fixtures to see if everything is alright. This should include water tank, flush valve, sinks, network of pipes, taps, etc. Old and corroding fixtures may be the problem, but so can brand new fixtures wrongly installed. So check them all and hire a license plumbing company.

Whether you’ve found your leak or not, you’ll need a skilled license plumber to be sure it’s handled properly. Paying for a professional with the right skills, tools and methods actually saves you money. Not only do excellent plumbers warranty their work, they also use quality parts and materials and their work is done with a long-term functionality in mind, not just a short term fix. If you have questions or in need a reliable and reputable plumber in the East Bay Area, call Landa Plumbing today.