The Best Things for You To Know About Plumbing Water Leaks

Here is some golden advice regarding water leaks in your home or business that has always worked well as long as you are aware that plumbing leaks exists and you can avoid them easily, especially emergency water leak repairs that will cost you much more when its an emergency and of course those water leaks always come at nights, weekends or holidays, when you need a plumber right away on the same day.  Look into this advice and at your first opportunity go and take a look around your kitchen, bathroom, front and back yard, next to the water meter and other plumbing pipes to see if there are any issues before they become emergency plumbing service.

Water leaks always start silently and slowly and will usually just grow bigger over time, it may take a day, a week, a month in a short piece of pipe or a long pipe that changed with the weather, the cold or temperature, within usage and even frequency and heights all affect how a water leak will start. In some cases some homeowners report that the leaks happened repeatedly as the plumbing repair company did not pay attention to the cause that was triggering the leak.

1. Water leaking under the sink, in the kitchen and in the bathroom could come from three different sources:

• If the sink is not sealed properly between the counter top and the sink or
• Under the sink from the cold or hot water pipe supply, the valves or connections, or
• the drain pipe with the S or U trap,

again under the sink is one of the most common leaks and the most simple leak to fix.

2.  Water leaks around the water heater area, you should look above a water heater for the hot water connection pipeline first as it is more likely to expand and shrink and then next to it cold water line supplies and the water valves to look for marks, usually you will see white water marks like a powder that will expand in the future to a leaking pipe.  You should also look under the water heater to see if the floor or if you have a cement floor that has brown or dark marks or if the cement floor color changed around the water heater, which is probably water leaking from a pipe or a leaking hot water heater.

3.  Boilers, especially in the wintertime when boilers are running on and off, water is circulating in the pipe system to create either hot water and/or steam.  Some leaks you will see only when the boiler is running so a complete check up for water leaking in the boiler is accurate to test and to do when the boiler is running.  Don’t wait until the fall and the winter to do it.  The best time is in the summer when you have time and plumbing companies are available, and the cost will be even cheaper as you don’t need emergency plumbing repair for a leaking boiler.

The first thing you should look in the boiler for leaking is around the pipes, the intake valve and the outtake valve and the most common area is within the circulation pump which circulates the hot water through the pipe and radiator from the boiler all the way to the basement, the first and second floor, releasing the heat to the air and coming back colder water with a lower pressure to get back warm in the boiler.  Circulating water that is not functional may start with a small leak that ruins the rotor and will break and stop your circulation pump, which will lead the pump to stop rotating as the cause of the leak and corrosion and rust.

A good practice is also to clean the water boiler as a maintenance and to flush it.  It will not only protect your boiler from leaking as its also removes any rust and metal pieces within the water pipes as the water and the steam within a steam boiler are constantly exchanging and transferring the heat through the system.

4. The main water valve and the water meter is another area that you may look into and inspect once every few months.  There are washers that seal the connection of the water pipes from the main water pipe supply the water line from the street to the main pipe supply line to your home or building which may need to be replaced once every five or ten years.  In old houses, and especially pay attention in houses you are looking to buy, a main water valve might be stuck, rusty or leaking as its almost never that someone turns off the water and uses the main valve so the valve stays in the off position for years, which leads not only to a leak but if you have an emergency and you want to shut off the water your main water valve may not function, may be stuck, or even worse break, as water may be running all over the only option in that scenario is to call the water company to shut off the main water valve on the street that controls the supply of cold water into your house.  Of course, that may take some time, sometimes a couple of hours, so you may need to find a creative to block the leaking water if something like that happens.

5.  Radiators, especially the ones that are made from cast iron that are leaking, might be steam leaking which converts to water or hot water leaking when you have a boiler with a hot water system and a circular pump.  It is always better to take a napkin, a piece of paper or cardboard and put it underneath if you suspect that the system is missing water form a boiler.  Always look at the glass indicator that shows the level of water within a steam boiler.  Consider the fact that the regulation high pressure valve may cause a problem as it might be defective and make the water in the system under high pressure which will cause a leak to start in the weakest connection.  If you have a lower pressure it is much better than higher pressure, as higher pressured water within a boiler system or even a water supply in a house causes a lot of damage to pipes, valves, faucets, water heaters and boilers, especially when your house is located downhill or within a valley where the water pressure is higher than a house or building that is located on a hill.  In commercial plumbing water pipes and boilers, especially with buildings over six floors sometimes use a boosting pump that boosts the water up to reach the highest floor so they can have enough water pressure when they are taking a shower or using the dishwasher and also to help disperse the heat in the heating system and circulate the heat faster and more efficiently.

6. Faucets and toilet tanks are another area where small leaks can be very hard to locate and they can steal your water as a silent leak without intention.  Put your finger on the faucet or use a piece of paper after you make sure the valve and the topper clear, try and see if you hear a small sound of water starting or stopping or water running through the pipes even for a second or so, so you know that water is leaking but also re-entering and filling the toilet bowl tank.

7. Every pipe that you have in the front or backyard navigation system may leak and you should pay attention to it and inspect once or twice a year.  Don’t wait until you have a frozen pipe or burst pipe.  Find the cause of the leak and if its the first time a good plumber will always try to avoid letting it happen a second time and not just repair the leak and go home. If you watch your water bill and see that it is pretty much the same, simple pipe inspections should be enough.  If your water bill is increased and higher than normal its either because your water use in that particular time period was high, maybe you had a house guest during that month or a construction job running or you filled the pool with water, if you don’t know the reason you should suspect that you have a water leak and its teh time to call us as your local NJ plumbing company.

Have a wonderful day.