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As a homeowner, it’s important that you pay attention to the various functions throughout your home so that you can be alerted whenever there’s a problem. When it comes to your plumbing system, fixing issues as early as possible is ideal for preventing a massive amount of water damage from happening to your home. We’re going to go over some of the most common signs that you likely have a plumbing leak in your home that needs to be addressed by one of our professionals.
Visible Water
Probably the most obvious sign that you have a plumbing leak in your home is that you see visible water. This will be most common when the leak is coming from an exposed pipe or underneath one of your sinks or appliances. It’s important to shut off the water supply to that location until you’re able to repair the issue to prevent further damage from happening. Make sure that you clean up any of the water as leaving water on any building materials can cause them to rot out and lose their structural integrity.
Low Water Pressure
Another pretty obvious sign that you likely have a plumbing leak at your home is that you have very low water pressure. If you’ve checked to ensure that you have the issue at every one of your faucets and your neighbors aren’t experiencing an issue with the county’s water supply, then the low-pressure issue is likely the result of most of your water leaking out from another location. You can typically work your way back to test all the plumbing fixtures on that water supply line until you reach one that still has full water pressure. This will help you to determine where the leak likely lies in your system.
Excessively High Water Bills
One annoying indicator that you have a plumbing leak in your home is that your water bill is excessively high. A great way to verify that you have a plumbing leak is to shut off all the plumbing fixtures in your home and take a look at your outside water meter. If the water meter is still going up with all your fixtures off, then you’ll know for sure that you definitely have a plumbing leak somewhere in your home.
Water Stains
If you have a hidden water leak in your home, one of the first signs that you may notice is water stains on your ceiling or on one of your walls. These are very distinct as they have a yellowish ring that is easy to distinguish from the rest of the wall or ceiling. It’s important to note that the plumbing leak doesn’t always happen right above that location. It could be rolling down your rafters to that location. This is why it’s important to hire one of our plumbing professionals to thoroughly assess the situation and determine the likely location of the leak.
Wet Walls
One particularly alarming issue that you may notice is that your wall or ceiling feels wet to the touch. Unless you’ve recently washed it down, it’s likely that there is a water leak that’s soaking into the drywall and causing it to be moist. Schedule prompt repair service and dry out your drywall before it develops mold and mildew that can be toxic to your health and your home.
Dripping Water
When a lot of people think about plumbing leaks, they picture a water line bursting due to the cold winter weather. However, there are a ton of different ways that your plumbing system can leak. One that you may easily overlook is a leak from your faucet. This typically starts out as a drip or two here and there and then turns into a steadier drip over time. If you notice that your faucet is dripping when you have it off, you need to have one of our plumbing professionals repair the issue before it gets worse.
Overly Wet Lawn Spots
Your water supply lines are not the only area where your plumbing may leak. As your sewer pipe ages, it can start to deteriorate and allow wastewater to seep out under the soil. When this happens, you can typically tell because the soil’s surface becomes highly saturated with water. During the wintertime, it becomes a lot easier to locate these spots as you’ll notice that the snow will melt in those areas for no reason. It’s necessary to get this problem looked at promptly as wastewater that seeps into the soil can contaminate local groundwater supplies. This can be very dangerous for everybody in your area.
Damaged Wallpaper or Paint
If a plumbing leak is left untreated for an extensive amount of time, it can cause damage to your walls. The excess moisture getting absorbed into the walls can cause your wallpaper to start peeling off from the wall. You may even notice that your paint starts to bubble up.
Musty Odor
If you’ve ever stepped outside in the woods after it rains, you’ll smell a distinctive musty scent due to all the excess water being absorbed into the moss and trees. The same thing happens with your home when it experiences a plumbing leak. All the water that leaks out has to go somewhere, which usually means getting absorbed into your walls and floors. After the water has been absorbed for a while, it will start to develop mold and mildew growth. This can put off a musty-like scent. If you can’t find the source of the scent, it’s highly likely that you have a hidden plumbing leak in your home that needs to be addressed by a professional.
Hissing Sound
Another alarming sign that you have a plumbing leak is that you’re hearing random hissing coming from your wall or floor. It isn’t uncommon for pipes to make a banging or rattling noise if they’re not properly adhered to their location. However, when water starts to seep out of a hole in your piping, the high pressure is going to cause a hissing sound to develop. If you’re hearing this noise, you need to respond quickly because there’s a lot of water coming out of your pipe. Ideally, you’ll want to shut off the water supply to the location where you’re hearing the sound to prevent further water damage from happening.
Damaged Flooring
One sign that you may not connect with a plumbing leak is damaged floors. However, it’s pretty common for water lines to be run underneath your floors before they’re diverted up into your fixtures. Whenever a leak develops, it can spurt water onto that floor and cause it to develop cracking. In severe cases, it can even cause soft spots in your flooring that are easily distinguishable when you walk over them.
Reliable Plumbing Repair Service
Service Professor offers reliable plumbing repair services to residents in the Kalamazoo, MI area. We can also assist with all your leak detection, plumbing maintenance, replacement, and installation needs. Simply call us today to book a service with one of our helpful plumbing professionals.
