We cannot live a normal life without a water supply. But we also can’t if it gets broken either.
In most cases, it’s a plumbing leak that causes general problems, including home flooding (if not fixed for a long time). But before you call a reliable plumber to make the repair, you should be sure that it’s a leak that interrupts the proper work of the water supply system.
In the following lines, we will give you some good hints on detecting the plumbing leak in your flat, house, villa, or working space. So spend a few minutes with us and our guide, because fixing the damage as soon as possible is essential.
What are the signs of a leak?
Let’s start with the confirmation that there’s a leak in your property plumbing system. How to tell if there’s such a problem?
Here are some signs that obviously confirm your hesitations and doubts:
- You probably have a plumbing leak if you have recently spotted numerous stains on the ceiling, at the wall edges, and even on the floors.
- Some stains might even be wet and usually flow straight from the ceiling.
- If the drywall is constantly moist, you should call the plumbing company immediately as there’s a leak in your house.
- When the leak is old enough, apart from the stains on the walls and the ceiling, mold will appear, too. Please, note that mildew can be hazardous for your health, especially if you have respiratory problems or any allergies.
- Cracks on the property foundation don’t appear only due to earthquakes or severe mechanical damages. As a matter of fact, such might be caused by leaky plumbing, too.
How to detect a plumbing leak
If you have noticed some or most of the signs that there’s a leak going on, it’s high time for you to detect where it comes from.
By the way, most of the repairing job is done during this discovery mission. So as soon as you find where the problem is located, you will not need lots of time, effort, or money to fix it. This is why we invite you to our fast plumbing leak detection guide.
Check your water meter
Conduct a quick test. Usually, the leak comes straight from the water meter.
For this purpose, you should stop the faucets. Once the water is turned, but you still see it’s running, it means there’s a leak in this plumbing system zone.
Please, keep in mind that according to the specialists, sometimes, during the first minutes, you might receive the correct result. It would be good for you to make double-check. Appoint the second check a couple of hours later.
Track your usage
How about making a test for a water leak at home without having any technical skills or using any wrench?
Actually, this is pretty much possible and easy to do. Simply get the last 5 water bills and compare them. If the final cost increases receipt after receipt, you might have to deal with some plumbing leaks at home.
Listen for running water
There’s one more accessible way to detect the sport from where the leak comes from. All you have to do is to trust your senses. To be more specific, rely on your excellent hearing skills.
Try to follow the noise of running water and see where it’s loudest. That clearly indicates there might be a broken pipe or some other type of damage precisely at that spot.
Check your appliances and fixtures for leaks
Somewhere around the appliances or the fixtures, there might be dripping and pooling water. This is where the leak can originate from, too.
Note that in most cases, since the leak is hard to notice at once, it’s either behind the electric devices or in the built-in drawer, cabinetry, and you name it.
Check faucets
Save for the fixtures, the faucets need to be examined, as well. As a matter of fact, plumbing companies share that, in most cases, it’s where they do most of their job while fixing a plumbing system leak in both – living and corporate spaces.
According to them, the main reason for a faucet to cause some water leaks is the blockage caused by debris or mineralisation caused by the hard water in your region.
Inspect the yard for leaks
Don’t underestimate the outdoor area. It’s not only your interior that can be affected by a breakage that can cause a leak.
The exterior zone is usually neglected by the homeowners. Hence, damage in an outer pipe or another part of the plumbing system is too possible to cause that mildew in your façade or even the walls.
Try the food colouring trick
This is one straightforward and effective way to check for leaks at home without sweating. Try the hassle-free method for leak detection through ordinary food colouring.
All you have to do is to drop a bit of it inside the toilet tank. Don’t do anything with it and leave for a night. When you wake up the following day, see if there is any nuance inside the bowl, but without doing any flushing.
If yes, we are sorry to tell you that there’s a water leak in your domestic WC area.
Conclusion
No matter what method you will use, your top mission in this task is to figure out where the problem is and what has caused it. Then, you can opt for some DIY repairing job if you have the necessary skills and tools.
However, if you don’t, it’s better to replace the entire pipe or the broken item fully.
Of course, if nothing of these sounds to you as easy as a childish game, there’s always an even more straightforward way to handle such situations. Find a decent handyman in your local area, for he would know what and how to do to resolve the issue as fast as possible.
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