Stay Ahead of the Game: Tips for Identifying and Addressing Leaks Early

Our homes rely on many basic amenities and water is a primary one! From day-to-day activities like cleaning and drinking to running our appliances and watering our yards, water is everywhere. But your home is one of the most significant and important investments of your life that needs protection from all kinds of harm including water damage. The tiny, hidden water leaks in your plumbing system that often goes unnoticed at first can cause serious and costly damage to your home. 

Water can instantly become one of the worst enemies if it goes where it doesn’t belong. From damaging furnishing to the overall structure, plumbing leaks can wreak havoc on every home. But not all plumbing leaks are obvious and sometimes they can be crucial to detect. Hence you should always get in touch with a professional plumber as noted by Robinson Restoration, to check on undetected plumbing leaks and prevent water damage from spreading like wildfire. In this article, we will talk about simple tips to identify plumbing leaks in your home.

Tips To Identify Early Plumbing Leaks

• Check on your water meter:
  

  One of the best ways to tell if there is an undetected leak in your plumbing is to check your water meter. You will have to turn off all the water outlets in your home- from the washing machine to the dishwasher faucets. Now check the meter and see if it changes. If it does not change right away, you have to wait for 2 to 3 hours and check again. If it has changed even the tiniest bit, you might be dealing with a slower leak. And if the meter change is faster, you should get in touch with a professional plumber immediately. 

• Monitor the water bill:
  

  If the water bill is consistently rising but your water habits have not changed, you may have a leak. Water bills are generally predictable. Even the smallest plumbing leaks like a leaky faucet with a steady drip can contribute towards water wastage and a high water bill. You can also gather the past few months’ bills and compare them to check the difference. Have a professional plumber run a thorough check on all the water pipes and inspect strong leak indicators like warm spots or running water sounds in case of concealed pipes. 

• Water damage in your walls or ceilings:
  

  When you look around the physical structure of your home you might not immediately notice the lower-level ceilings. For instance, if you have a bathroom upstairs, you can check for leaks that can slowly wind through the flooring and cause a bubbled or bulging ceiling along with swelling and chipping wall paint. You can also check for the presence of mold or mildew or any noticeable discoloration. 

• Check for green patches:
  

  If one of your buried water lines is leaking, you might notice green grass along the line. It not only grows faster than normal grass but a profuse leak might even cause puddles on the surface of the ground. 

• Dye test:

  One of the prime spots for interior water leakage is the toilet. The toilet’s flapper is susceptible to becoming brittle over time which can cause the water to trickle from the tank. The flapper is a rubber stopper that is responsible for preventing water from entering the toilet bowl without pressing the flush. You can grab a bottle of food color and drop a few drops in the toilet tank. The toilet bowl will immediately display the food color within minutes if your toilet is leaking. 

• Check for a dripping sound or musty smell:
  

  Some water leaks can be heard which is a strong clue about its location. Always try to hear if the leak is giving away any dripping sound. You should also check for any persistent musty smell as it is a strong indicator of mold growth inside the wall where water is leaking.

Plumbing leaks are sometimes easily identifiable and other times notoriously insidious. Even sealed-off plumbing is susceptible to leaks due to corrosion, abrasion from high pressure, and an excess amount of flux residue. From damaging costly furniture and documents to causing structural damage to rising energy bills, water leaks can have long-lasting effects on your home. Once you confirm that there is a leak somewhere in your plumbing, it can be difficult or sometimes dangerous to determine the source. This is when you should turn off the major water valve and get in touch with a water damage restoration company. They can promptly identify and fix all types of plumbing leaks which can go on to prevent any potential water damage to your home.