3 Signs You Have a Plumbing Leak in Your Home

Your plumbing system features a series of pipes that work together to deliver water to your bathroom, kitchen, laundry room, and other crucial parts of your home. These pipes are meticulously tucked away inside the walls and in crawl spaces to ensure they don’t ruin your home’s visual appeal. However, while this layout is incredible for aesthetic purposes, it comes with a disadvantage — it’s hard to spot a plumbing leak.

By the time you realize one of your pipes is leaking, you’ll be looking at massive property damage and thousands of dollars in repairs. So how do you locate a leak in your plumbing pipe before it causes catastrophic damage to your property? Here are three telltale signs!

1. Wetness and Moisture on Surfaces

Is there a spot on your wall or ceiling that’s always wet or damp? Do you assume that maybe it’s because of high humidity levels? Unfortunately, you may be dealing with a plumbing pipe leak. A tiny leak on a pipe causes water to drip on the surface next to it. If this is a wall or ceiling, the water pools there over time and makes the surface damp.

The presence of water or moisture can spell problems for your home. First, it will cause discoloration of the surfaces. If the wall or ceiling is painted, the paint starts to bubble, warp, or peel. Additionally, moist surfaces act as suitable breeding grounds for mold. According to the CDC, exposure to mold can cause health problems such as coughing, wheezing, skin irritation, and even severe infections in the respiratory organs.

2. Warping and Deterioration of Structures

Some materials will rot, warp, or deteriorate when exposed to water. These include wood, drywall, and metal. Wood starts to warp and rot when exposed to moisture. Structural wood can compromise the stability of the entire structure when it suffers extensive water damage. Metals such as steel may rust when exposed to water, and this degrades their integrity as well.

Look around your ceiling, wooden flooring, and any other structures made from materials that are susceptible to deterioration due to high moisture. If you notice rot, rust, or signs or warping, you may have a leak in your home. Such structures can be costly to repair; thus, contact a plumber immediately to fix the leak and avert structural damage.

3. Skyrocketing Water Bill

Your home consumes a certain average amount of water per month. This consumption rate should not deviate so much from the average unless you’ve done any of the following:

• You have an additional member in your household
• You’ve been undertaking irrigation or any landscaping tasks that use water
• You’ve generally increased consumption, for example, the number of times you do laundry per week

If your water bill is skyrocketing without significant changes in consumption, one of your pipes may be leaking. Leaks that cause significant water losses result mostly in the basement and the yard. Check your basement for leaks or flooding. Inspect your garden for wet spots, and focus on the areas where there are plumbing pipes underneath.

Repair Plumbing Leaks to Save Money Today

A seemingly small plumbing leak can cause devastating damage to your home. It’s advisable to regularly inspect your home, especially if you have old pipes or have had a plumbing leak in the past. If you locate a leak, turn off the water and call the experts for repairs.

Do you need plumbing leak repairs from a reputable and top-rated company? Contact us at the Signature Plumbing Company for a consultation!