Pipes are an integral part of any home. They are responsible for transporting water to all facets of your home; without them, all you’d be is thirsty! But did you know they can also leak?
Leaky pipes waste valuable resources and money, so make sure you understand what you should do if this happens to your home.
Leakage While Pipes May Seem Solid
Anyone who has seen a pipe knows that it’s composed of at least two parts. The visible exterior (called the ‘jacket’) keeps the inner workings safe from outside elements, and then there’s the unseen interior, where the magic happens.
However, even with their solid appearance, some homeowners assume that leaks aren’t possible; interestingly enough, while some types of pipes are highly unlikely to leak, many types of piping often leak even with proper maintenance.
While Leaks Are Unsightly, They Can Cause Expensive Damage
Ultimately if you don’t deal with a leaky pipe fast enough, it will eventually cause permanent damage before repairing itself (if this is even possible). At this point, you probably won’t be able to fix the problem for a reasonable price, so taking action as soon as possible can save you money in the long run.
Although leaking water may seem like only a minor annoyance, it’s important to remember that around most of the home flooding are due to leaks and burst pipes!
So not only does your water bill skyrocket, but the potential damage from leaking water is also costly. Even worse, sometimes these leaks aren’t discovered until hours or days after they start — this means you could already have substantial mold forming behind walls and ceilings without knowing about it!
Know What You Should Look For
You can watch out for several signs if you want to catch a leaky pipe before it becomes a problem.
- When water runs for an extended period, you can use your faucet or a bucket to measure how much it has added to the water bill. If there’s something off about what you’re paying, then this could be an indicator that there’s a leak somewhere in the system.
- You should also check for changes in pressure, which are common signs that your pipes are leaking into walls or ceilings after being damaged by fractures etc. Remember, slow leaks often cause much more damage than fast ones!
- Stains, rust marks, and other discolorations on floors, ceilings, and around windows can indicate where damage has occurred behind the walls or under floorboards/carpets. Musty smells often accompany these stains, so keep your nose out for strange smells that may indicate mold. If the damage has already caused mold, this will probably need to be treated by professionals!
Solutions That Can Save You Money
Unfortunately, there’s no way to stop all types of leaking completely, but taking preventative action can help minimize the problem.
1. Use Pipe Locator
Make use of a pipe locator to help you detect areas where your pipes are likely to leak. You can use a tool with a meter attached to it to find any leaks in the walls or ceilings around your house, but this isn’t really necessary if your pipes run under floors or in outer walls that aren’t visible from the inside.
2. Go for Water-Resistant Paint
A great way to protect from water damage is using water-resistant paint when renovating your home. If you’re pulling out old piping, then adding an extra coat of paint after installation can add some serious protection!
3. Check for Damages
Although there’s no way to prevent all types of leakage completely, taking the time to check for potential early on means they will be much easier to deal with.
Whether it’s dripping taps, leaks behind walls, or pools of water around your home, it doesn’t take long to identify the source of the leak and fix it before damages occurs!
4. Call Professionals
Make sure that any repairs are done by professional plumbers who know what they’re doing. That means calling a legitimate company for assistance rather than attempting to do everything yourself!
DIY is only an option if you have experience in this area or want to gamble on doing more harm than good.
5. Schedule Regular Inspections
It can also be helpful to hire professionals for regular inspections if you have an older home with deteriorating pipes etc.
This will ensure that everything is up to code and ready to go so that you can prevent costly repairs without any significant problems.
A great way to ensure your home stays comfortable and safe for family life is by keeping the water system free from leaks! If you notice anything out of the ordinary, then contact a professional straight away — it could save you a lot of hassle in the long run. So don’t put it off — get working on those pipes today!
