Plumbing leaks are sneaky little problems that can cause significant damage to your home if left unattended. Other than causing musty odors, unwanted organic growths, and structural damages, it can also make your maintenance expenses and water bills skyrocket. Additionally, it puts you at risk of electrical problems.
Since so much of your home’s plumbing system is hidden, it can be hard to track down where the leak is coming from. Considering this, it helps to be familiar with leaky pipes and understand what causes them to easily locate problem areas and protect your home.
To help you out, here are five common sources of household leaks that you should watch out for:
1. Broken seals
Most seals are placed around the water connectors in your home after appliances or fixtures are installed. However, as time goes by, these seals wear out, break, or degrade, causing your pipes to drip. You may be dealing with a broken seal if you notice any condensation on your appliance or puddles near it.
2. Loose water connectors and plumbing fittings
Leaks can also happen when your water connectors or fittings become loose due to vigorous shaking or pulling. Remember that they are directly connected to your supply lines, such as your hoses and pipes, and problems here can cause your water consumption to increase. Because of this, you should constantly monitor for running water or puddles forming around your connectors to prevent further wastage.
3. Extreme temperature changes
Rapid temperature changes can cause your pipes to expand in higher temperatures and contract in lower temperatures, and back again in a short amount of time. This can cause the plumbing to be brittle and, eventually, crack. You can prevent this by regularly checking the performance and condition of your pipes.
4. General wear and tear
Your pipes and fixtures will naturally deteriorate over time. There are various problems that you have to deal with when it comes to wear and tear, such as excessively high water pressure. Excessive or uneven pressure puts a strain on your pipes and causes small cracks in them that, if overlooked, can lead to bigger gaps and more serious leak problems.
Corrosion is another issue that you may have to deal with when it comes to aging pipes. Rust and other forms of corrosion, if left alone, may slowly eat away at your pipes. Before the situation worsens, it’s best to contact a professional plumber to have the damaged section of the pipe replaced.
5. Incorrect pipe layout
Improper and unprofessional installation of your pipes is among the leading causes of serious leaks and plumbing emergencies. Because they are hidden behind your walls and under your floors, detecting a pipe layout problem can be challenging or even impossible to do, and you may only notice the signs when the problem has already worsened.
Keep in mind that even the smallest mistake in your pipe layout can result in costly repairs and bigger problems in the future. This is why it is best to hire a licensed plumber to do any major plumbing work. Additionally, you can seek their help in assessing your current system even before you start to see alarming signs.
Conclusion
Leaky household pipes are usually caused by one or a combination of the reasons listed above. Although they can cause inconvenience and significant damage to your home, there are ways for you to keep your residential property protected. Watch out for the common causes of plumbing leaks mentioned above and have a plumber’s contact on speed dial if a problem arises.
We are here to help you with your plumbing problems and concerns in North Carolina. Check out our website at Plumber Charlotte NC for more plumbing tips and tricks today!
