7 Signs of a Leak You Need to Be Aware Of

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Worried your home might have a leak? Leaks can develop quickly, causing a buildup of water in walls, flooring or building materials that can cause significant, expensive damage to your home, apartment or commercial building.

Most of the time, leaks are relatively easy to detect, with obvious signs that you can identify over time. Act quickly after detecting a leak and you can organize a repair, helping you avoid a much more costly bill further down the line.

Not sure what to look for? To help to identify a leak easier, we’ve listed seven common signs of a leak below. If you spot one, give our team a call and we’ll be able to provide expert advice and assistance.

Damp patches on your walls or flooring

The most obvious sign of a leak is a damp, moist patch on your home’s flooring or walls. Over time, even relatively small leaks can cause water to seep into your home’s walls and flooring, causing surfaces that would normally stay dry to take on a damp feeling.

When a leak develops inside your home’s walls, it’s often easy to spot, as the color of the wall can change as a result of the dampness and humidity. Over weeks and months, you may even notice mold growing around the affected area.

Leaks that affect flooring are often more difficult to spot. While severe leaks are fairly obvious, small leaks can go unnoticed for months before becoming obvious. In either case, it’s best to look for changes in color, feel and temperature, all of which can be caused by leaking water.

Wet areas in your yard or garden

Have you noticed puddles or unusually wet areas in your yard or garden? When certain parts of your yard look and feel unnaturally wet, it could be the result of a burst or damaged water main that’s leaking out into your property.

The water main connects your home to the local water supply. It can rupture for a wide range of reasons, from wear and tear that occurs over time to breakages caused by tree leaves “cutting” into the pipe. Even vibration from nearby construction can often be enough to cause a leak.

Over time, the water that leaks out from a damaged water main can cause sinkholes to develop in your yard. As always, it’s best to act early and take action the moment you notice a damp and unusually wet patch on your property.

Water accumulating in cupboards and storage areas

Have you noticed water pooling in the cupboards under your kitchen sink? When water collects in a cupboard, bathroom vanity or other furniture that’s connected to plumbing, it’s typically the result of a broken pipe, connection or faucet.

Because you might not open your kitchen cupboards every day, water can often pool for quite a long time before it’s noticed. This means that even relatively small leaks can cause quite a lot of damage to your kitchen, bathroom and other furniture if they’re allowed to develop.

As always, the best way to deal with this problem is to be alert. If you notice a musty smell in your kitchen or bathroom, leave the cupboard doors open overnight so that you can check for any isolated puddles and pools of water the next morning.

Wet rings on the ceiling

Leaks don’t just occur in the kitchen and bathroom. Over time, the pipes that run through your home’s roof can rupture, causing roof leaks to develop.

Roof leaks are fairly easy to spot. Usually, you’ll notice a ring of moisture (known as a “ceiling stain”) forming on your ceiling. Because most ceilings are light in color, these stains stand out like a sore thumb and usually don’t get much of a chance to develop before being spotted.

Like all leaks, it’s important to address roof leaks quickly. Left unfixed, even a relatively small roof leak can cause significant, expensive damage to your home. The moment you notice an unusual stain on your ceiling, take action by calling our team to have the leak repaired.

Unusually low water pressure

Has your home’s water pressure decreased without any explanation? Leaks can often result in a decline in water pressure that makes it more difficult to run a bath, use your shower or run water from your bathroom and kitchen faucets.

Low water pressure caused by a leak is usually quite easy to differentiate from other causes of reduced water pressure. Usually, it happens quite suddenly. There’s also no loss of your water supply as taps and other faucets will run normally, just at a reduced level of pressure.

If you’ve noticed a suspicious drop in water pressure, there’s a good chance it’s the result of a leak. Our team can quickly and efficiently check for a damaged pipe or other plumbing problem and, if required, perform a full repair before the leak can worsen.

Roaches, silverfish, earwigs and other bugs

While roaches and other insects can infect any home, they tend to show up in damp, humid areas. This means that if you have a leaking pipe in your kitchen, bathroom or basement, it could act as a magnet for moisture-loving bugs.

Over time, even a small leak can cause wooden cabinets, flooring and other materials to hold significant amounts of water. Attracted to the moisture, bugs can infest your home and multiply rapidly in the damp, comfortable environment.

If you have a recurring bug problem that just doesn’t seem to disappear, contacting a plumber for a quick check of your home’s plumbing system is often a good idea. Often, a small leak is more than enough to attract insects, causing two annoyances for you at once.

Suspiciously high water bills

The final sign of a potential leak you should be aware of isn’t physical, but financial. If you’ve noticed your water bills increasing without any explanation, there’s a good chance it’s due to water leaking out of your home’s plumbing system.

Leaks, particularly underground leaks that affect your water main, can result in a significant amount of wasted water. Often, the excess water is enough to cause a major surge in your monthly water bill. It may be enough to raise an eyebrow the moment you open the envelope.

If your water bill has suddenly increased, it’s worth carrying out a quick of your home to see if you can spot any of the physical signs of a leak. If you can, give us a call and we’ll locate and repair the leak, helping you fix the damage and avoid months of costly water bills.

Worried you might have a leak?

Leaks can get worse quickly, making it important for you to take action as soon as you notice one of the signs listed above. If you’re worried about a potential leak, contact us now to talk to an expert plumber in Orange County and learn more about the best solutions for you.

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