Our Top Tips to Find a Plumbing Leak

5 Ways to Find a Plumbing Leak

There is nothing worse than coming home to a flooded home or waking up to an unexpected plumbing leak on a Monday morning. Luckily, there is a way to prevent a small plumbing leak from becoming a massive problem through early detection. So here are our top 5 tips to help you find a plumbing leak and avoid disaster:

1. Brown spots and water stains – if you start to notice a growing brown water stain on your ceiling, you will definitely find that a plumbing leak is not far from it. The easiest way to locate a plumbing leak that is causing these unsightly and damaging stains is to measure the distance the stain is from a stacked wall. Then, move upstairs and measure the same distance from the stacked wall. You will usually find that the stain is not far from the source of the leak (such as a toilet, bathtub, or water heater). Once you have located the source of the plumbing leak you can call your local plumber to help diagnose the exact problem and fix it before it does any more damage to your home.

2. Lifting floorboards or tiles – a plumbing leak often occurs around the joints of your plumbing when seals and grouting deteriorates and allows water to slowly seep out. These kinds of leaks (usually around bathtubs, showers, and toilets) can be seen when tiles or flooring around these fixtures start to lift when the subfloor ing starts to rot and swell from the water damage. To find the source of these leaks splash water around the seals of baths and showers or flush your toilet a few times – remember that it may take a few minutes for the leak to let the water seep out so be patient. When you find out where the water is coming out from you can use caulking to seal it up again. However, if the leak continues,mothers may be a bigger problem beneath the surface that needs professional attention from a qualified plumber.

3. Puddles or damp smells – if you have ever had a whiff of a damp smell when opening a sink cupboard or found a puddle gathering under your kitchen sink, you probably have a leak around your sink. This plumbing leak could be one of three things: a rim leak, a supply leak, or a drain leak. To find out which one it is start by splashing water around your faucets and the rim of your sink, after a while check to see if there are any leaks on the underside of your cabinet. If this is not the problem, use dry tissues to dab the supply pipes, shut offs, and connections that lead to your sink. After dabbing each area check to see if the tissue is damp. Lastly, if this does not reveal the source of your leak, fill your sink with water and wait to see if the water level drops. Fixing a leaky sink is a quick fix if you have the help of an experienced plumber.

4. Listen up – your ears can be your greatest asset when it comes to plumbing leak detection. Most of the time visible signs of a plumbing leak mean that your property is already damaged in some way or another (rotting wood, lifting tiles, ceiling stains, etc.) But if you can catch a leak before it reaches that point, you will be saving yourself a lot of money and stress. The best way to do this is to keep your ears open for any unusual sounds in your plumbing. Hissing sounds, dripping sounds, creaky pipes, or constantly flowing water are all indicators of a possible plumbing leak or problem. If you hear anything coming from your plumbing that is out of the ordinary get hold of a plumber straight away to sort out the problem before any damage even occurs.

5. A sudden hike in your water bill – if you notice that your water bill is suddenly a lot more than it usually is despite there being no change in your water usage, a plumbing leak is a likely culprit. Since there are no other signs of a plumbing leak, it is best to call a plumber that has the equipment and knowledge to detect hidden leaks in hard to reach and see places.