How To Find A Plumbing Leak

Leakage can happen in any form, like dripping faucets or running toilets. Infact many a number of times the leakage might be occurring since long, but remains undetectable unless you get a huge utility bill. If the leak is not detected in time it can ruin the expensive wooden flooring, false roofs and even the walls. It is therefore necessary not to ignore even a small patch of water on roof or in cabinets and fix the leak immediately.

If you have recently moved into a new house, leakages can be a common occurrence. It happens due to inferior installation of pipes, sinks or faucets. Even in a swimming pool leakage can happen, resulting in wastage of gallons of water. You can realize about a leakage with a sudden increase in water bill, changing of water meter digits in case of zero water use or smell of dampness in some areas. Common areas where leakages can happens are toilets, kitchen, bathtubs, drains or old pipes running through walls. If you know a leakage is happening, here are some tips to find out the source:

Toilets

Toilet leakage is one of the most common problem areas. In case of toilets where flush tank is inside the bathroom, you can easily detect the leakage. Remove the lid from the tank and notice for any grumbling or hissing sound. Locate for the source of the sound and fix it soon. Leakage can also be in the flapper at the bottom of the tank. To find out about it, put some colour in the tank. Wait for few minutes and in any case of leakage you will see the color of water in the toilet bowl will be changed. In case the tank is not reachable put the color in the bowl itself. If the colour fades or vanishes in sometime, leakage is confirmed and it needs quick attention.

Sinks

Leakages in sink allow water to seep under the base of faucet. This can be in kitchens or bathrooms. If not controlled, they will gradually destroy the cabinets and floor. You will notice deteriorating caulk around sink or water stains on the floor or cabinets. It might also happen if the faucet base or the washer is loose which can easily be replaced or just tightened using a wrench.

Pipe joints

There are pipe joints around sinks, tubs, showers or faucets. You can easily check for leaks in these places. Just clean the pipe with a tissue and repeat again after few minutes. If tissue gets wet, then there is a leakage. This can be easily repaired by filling in the gaps with silicone caulking. Let it dry completely before you start resuming the water supply.

Swimming pool and Garden hose pipes

If you have a timer fixed to water the garden or fill the pool, then you will not easily notice the water leakage. You can check leaks in the pool, by making a mark once the pool is completely full. After few hours if the water level has changed, then you need to call the engineer and get the valves checked for possible leakages. In garden if you notice a small puddle under the pipe then inspect it closely. In case you hear any water sound or if water is dripping then the faucet or the valve needs to be fixed.