Water leaks anywhere on your property are a great concern. They can lead to massive expenses in terms of repair costs. Left untreated, they can have a seriously negative impact on your health. If you’re looking to sell your property, if interested would-be buyers detect water leaks and damage, they’ll run a mile. The risks are just too high to take such a costly problem on.
Water leaks drive down the value of a property
You can safely say that water leaks drive down the value of a property, because there is also the ever present threat of mould and fungal growth. Mould can produce allergens and it can also bring on asthma attacks.
How do these water leaks happen in the first place? It could be that you haven’t established the habit of water leak detection. This is when you give water leak areas a good check over before a problem occurs.
If you’re not familiar with how to examine pipes, how to check for leaks in a toilet, or how to check your swimming pool for leaks, a leak detection specialist can do it for you the first time and advise you on how to examine your pipes regularly.
You will learn how to detect rust around pipes due to aging, how to check for blocked drains and other helpful tips that can help to tackle water leaks.
Aging plumbing pipes
You can’t just assume that your home has traditional galvanized steel piping. Certainly, it used to be simpler when all water supply pipes were steel, but now there are several common kinds of plumbing pipes.
They’re made from different materials, such as plastic piping known as PVC, or polyvinyl chloride. You also get copper pipes and ABS pipes, among others. Pipes can generally last for up to 20 years or more. You need to know when they were installed so you can have an idea of when you need to be on guard because of rust and ageing and inevitable water leaks.
Clogged drains
Nobody likes to shower with their feet submerged in dirty water because the shower drainage system is blocked. If there is a blockage in the drain pipes, the water backs up and can result in a burst pipe. Even if the pipe doesn’t burst, the pressure building up within the pipe will result in water leaks through seals and joints of the pipes.
These pipes are designed for water to flow seamlessly through them. You can try a regular drain cleaner, but stubborn debris such as pieces of soap and hair might well require the services of pipe leak detector. These water leak experts may opt to use a powerful high-pressure water jet to clear the blockage.
Blocked gutters
The role of gutters is to divert rainwater away from your house. Gutters clogged up with leaves and twigs can cause water to build up, which can damage the very foundations of your home.
Gutters need to be cleared of debris on a regular basis. Get up on the ladder and remove all the debris. It’s causing the water to pool inside the gutters so that it eventually seeps into your roof. It weakens the roof, gaining entry into the interior of your home.
If the leak is undetected or ignored, even the electrical wires and plugs can be impacted. A leak detection expert can diagnose your gutter problem and repair it to prevent further leaks.
Rust in your hot water system
It can be quite devastating to have a leaking hot water system. They age just like all of your home appliances and start to cause problems. Most of the time, the culprit with old water tanks is rust buildup.
At some time, your hot water system will show rust and water leakage. Then again, if your hot water heater is leaking, it could be that the anode cover has managed to come off. This could be because the system is leaking internally and the combination of heat and water has pushed the cover off.
Water heaters can serve you for up to 20 years if maintained properly. You need to look them over regularly because a leak can result in significant water damage. Corrosion that occurs in your water heater can be stopped by replacing your water heater’s aluminum anode rod. However, if your tank is already leaking, it will need to be replaced.
Detect water leaks by reading your meter
Your water meter can be an indicator as to how much water is leaking on your property. The leak indicator next to the meter hand moves when there’s a water leak lurking in your home.
Water seepage can occur anywhere in your home. Avoid a disaster by learning how to detect water leaks in water pipes before the leaks turn into a major problem. Undetectable leaks can add significantly to your water bill. To detect water leaks, start by learning how to read your meter. It can help you identify an unusual rise in your water usage that would indicate a water leak.
Early detection of a water leak can save you a lot of money because it can prevent a potential pipe burst and a lot of further damage to your property.