Though we highly depend on water, the plumbing system is something that bothers us the least. People never pay attention to the plumbing system of their houses until and unless there is a problem with it which starts to bother us. These problems surely have to be big to bother us as we tend to ignore small issues with our plumbing system.
Though we highly depend on water, the plumbing system is something that bothers us the least. People never pay attention to the plumbing system of their houses until and unless there is a problem with it which starts to bother us. These problems surely have to be big to bother us as we tend to ignore small issues with our plumbing system. From laundry, washrooms, irrigation, water is in use almost everywhere. With the passing time, the plumbing system in our house requires repair, and even these get old after a particular period. We often have no idea about the pipes installed under the wall, and this is one of the main reasons that we tend to ignore plumbing systems.
Clogged toilets, pipes with a leak, broken pipes, and many other plumbing issues are quite common. These common issues cause a lot of water wastage as they can take place almost everywhere in your home, including drains, bathtubs, sinks, showers. The leaky pipes start to add up to your electricity bill directly. To save the precious resource of the earth, you should follow certain steps to avoid leaky pipes or toilets.
Kitchen Plumbing Leaks
The kitchen uses a lot of water. The water is in use throughout the day, while washing dishes, cooking food, washing hands and many more. Having a leak in your kitchen can be very frustrating and messy. There can be several causes of kitchen plumbing leaks.
Drain Leak
Drain leak can be one of the primary causes of the kitchen plumbing leak. Plumbers seal the drain in the kitchen with putty, which prevents leaks. But this putty does not promise to stay forever. The putty tends to dry out with time, or maybe a thin layer was applied initially. In either of the cases, you can experience a leak.
Faucet Leak
These leaks are quite easy to spot. Faucet leaks can be found both underneath the sink and above. The leaks under the sink are visible only if you take a good look under the sink’s counter. The leading cause of leaky faucets is the loosening of the washers or failed washers and failed gaskets.
Loose Water Supply Connection
If you notice a constant water leakage under your sink, then the chances are that your water supply connections are loose. Since the water supply connections to your sink are invisible to you, you will not realize that there is a leakage until and unless it destroys the wall or the cabinet near it. Waterline leakage can occur due to various reasons like failing of a gasket or corrosion. The water lines leakage may also happen due to loose connections, and in such cases, just the tightening of the connections can be helpful.
Clogged P-Trap
P-Trap prevents the foul smell from seeping through the drains. The P-trap is a curved pipe installed under the sink. Since the P-trap is not in our sight, it becomes challenging to identify the leak, or even to find out that there is some leak. With time a lot of food gets accumulated at P-Trap, which stops the smooth flow of water down the drain. This blockage can cause a leak in your kitchen, also if your sink consists of metal parts, then chances are there for corrosion, and in such case, you need to replace the entire system.
Damaged O-Ring
O-ring is one of the most common places where leakage occurs. Due to regular use, the O-Ring becomes loose, which results in leaky faucets. If there is a leak due to the O-Ring, then replacing it should work. The problem of O-Ring generally arises in cartridge faucets.
Bathroom Leaks
The bathroom has the most water fixtures in our house, so it is one of the most common places where you will find water leaks. If there is any leakage in your bathroom, then the first sign would be water stains on the ceiling or walls. These water stains can later appear in your room if they are not fixed at the initial stage.
Shower Leaks
To check for shower leaks, check the area around your shower regularly. The seals around your shower can help you detect the leak, if any. If this is not fixed, then the water gets into direct contact with the wall and leaves water stains and finally results in mold.
Bathtub Leaks
Bathtub beaks are usually difficult to identify because the pipes are not visible as they are behind the wall. Water stains are seen in the ceiling of the room below the bathroom. One of the best ways to detect leaks is to check all areas and seals for gaps regularly. Sometimes closing of the gaps is also the solution.
Bathroom Floor Leaks
The vinyl floor often rots when there is water leakage. Leakage in tiled floors occurs due to cracked tiles or improper grouting. The process of grouting can fix most of the issues related to water leakage.
Toilet Leaks
If you notice your toilet seat moving, it is a sign that it is time to replace it or get the repair done as soon as possible. If the seat’s position is not stable, it means that the seat is not secure, and the seal at the bottom has broken. One of the major causes of a toilet seat is a leak between the toilet and the waste pipe.
Ways To Identify Plumbing Leaks
Leaks can occur anywhere in your house, and if not identified at the right point or the initial stage, then chances are there that you will probably end up in a bigger problem and have to pay more than required. The list below has a few simple steps to identify the plumbing leakage in your house.
Review your monthly water usage
You can regularly check your water usage every month; this helps you know the extra amount of water used in a particular month. If you notice a significant change in water usage compared to the rest of the months, then it can be a sign that there is some water leakage in your house.
Monitor your water meter
By recording the reading of the water meter, you can very quickly know about water leakage. All you need to do is shut off all the faucets and water using the appliance of your home for at least two hours and note the reading before and after you switch off the meter. If the reading in the meter changes even slightly, then it is an indication of leakage in your house.
Take a look at your plumbing.
This is one of the easiest ways to check for leakage in your house. By simply checking the faucets and the pipe fittings, you can identify the leakage. Even if you find moisture on the floor or wall, it means that there is some leakage.
Test your toilets
Water leaks in the toilet are not very easy to identify and mostly are very hard to identify at an early stage. For a regular inspection, you can add a few drops of food coloring in the water tank and not flush it for at least half an hour. If the toilet bowl is clear, there is no hidden leakage, but if there is some color, then know that there is some leak, and you should get it repaired at the same time.
Watch for other warning signs.
It would help if you regularly watch for warning signs in your home, which may indicate leaky faucets, showers, tiles, fittings, and more. One sign that indicates water leakage is the formation of molds on the wall and damp odor.
Review your monthly usage
Suppose you notice a significant change in the usage of water for a few months, then chances are there that you have hidden water leakage in your house. Keeping a regular check of the water usage helps you save money and water and protects you from getting into problems caused due to plumbing leakage.
Check exterior usage
Saying that water leakage only takes place inside our house may be wrong, water leakage can also take place outside your home in the lawn or garden. So it is good that you keep a regular check on the fittings out there. You can attach outside spigots with a gardening hose and see if any water is seeping through and check all the connections. If you find any problem, then you may call a professional for assistance.
Check faucets
Regular inspection of faucets takes no time as these types of leaks are easily identified. Most of the leaky faucets can be fixed by tightening them or replacing the washers or the gasket.
Few of the plumbing issues are quite easy to identify and fix. Mostly the underground leakage is the one that is hard to find and fix it can be more time taking once identified. These types of leakages are not just time taking but can also bring a costly surprise if not detected at the initial stage. It is always advisable to get a regular house inspection for all your plumbing systems to save your time and money.
Source: ways to identify plumbing leaks
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