Every homeowner at some point in their lives will experience and have to deal with a water leak in their home. It is one of those inevitable things that will happen at least once for a homeowner or renter. Actually, water damage due to water leaks is quite common and can be found in many homes and apartments. Read on to discover the common places to check for water leaks and what to do when a water leak hits.
7 Most Common Places To Check For Water Leaks
- Shower/bathtub. The biggest clusters of water leaks and wasted water are almost always found in the bathroom. Check your shower head for drips. By the way, a leaking shower wastes more than 500 gallons of water per year. And also check your bathtub faucets as well. One drip of water per second equals 3000 gallons per year.
- Toilet/toilet flapper. When this part gets either eroded or worn out, it can cause your toilet to run and waste a lot of water overtime. One leaky toilet wastes up to 73,000 gallons per year. If you hear the tank filling long after your toilet has been flushed, chances are good that you’ve got a leaky toilet. If you can’t hear anything, it means that the toilet is not leaking.
- Sink faucets, handles and pipes. Leaky faucets are major water wasters, so make sure not only you are checking the faucet itself, but also check the nobs and everything around the faucet as well. Also check the pipes underneath your sink. Fixing a leaky faucet can save over 20 gallons of water per day!
- Check your dishwasher underneath for any water that might have pooled after it’s been used. Run a paper towel underneath the appliance and check for wetness. If the paper towel is dry, there is no leak.
- Clothes washer. If your washer is leaking, it’s bad news because a small leak can turn into a big one pretty fast. Check hoses behind your washer. You may have to actually pull the washer from the wall to thoroughly check the connections on the hoses and ensure that water is not dripping anywhere.
- The water heater. First, you must check all connections to your water heater to see that there are no leaks there. Also the water heater shouldn’t be rusted and leaking anywhere on the unit itself. Stand back and give it a good visual lookover – first, check for signs of running water, then see if there are any leaks on top or water stains on the side of the unit or pooling at the bottom. If you find any, that might be a first sign that your water heater tank is failing and this is a very dangerous condition, it can cause a lot of heavy damage to your home if left untreated. In case of discovering a water heater leak, it’s best to call a professional plumber.
- Outside water spigots. First of all, check the spigot handle and nozzle for water leaks and dripping. Second, check the rubber gasket inside the hose and sprayer connectors. A lot of times the rubber gasket would be worn out, which is the reason of water leaks in outside spigots. In this case the rubber gasket needs to be replaced. Make sure you don’t leave your spigot running after you are done using it outside.
And did you know that minor leaks account for over one trillion gallons of wasted water each year? That’s equal to the annual water use in 11 million US homes! Fixing easily corrected household water leaks can save homeowners about 10% on their water bills.
What to do when you discovered a water lea?
Act Fast
When you discover a leak, do not postpone fixing the issue. You better act fast in order to avoid any heavy damage to your home and as a result costly repairs. In some cases, that cannot be avoided. However, if water leaks were discovered early, they will have caused minimal damage. The first thing you have to do is to shut off the water to whatever domestic appliance water is leaking from. If there are any electronic devices close by, you will also want to instantly unplug or remove them. In some cases, shutting off the circuit breaker may be needed.
You may also have to turn your main water valve off at the source. Keep in mind that it could be located in your garage, your yard, or even offsite somewhere. So it would be wise to find out where your main water valve is located before any leak happens.
Call the Professionals
First, call a qualified and licensed plumber. The sooner you can get the leak fixed and the water back on, the better. If you suspect that there has been any electrical damage because of the leak, call a licensed electrician to check and repair any electrical damage if there is any.
If you discovered a significant pooling of water due to the leak, you might need to call a water removal professional. Take the time to clean up as much of the pooled water as possible, and if the leak hasn’t stopped, put a bucket underneath it. To avoid more damage to your home and possible major safety hazards, always contact licensed and trustworthy plumbing professionals.
Many of the smaller leaks that you have found are not hard to fix. You can even try to do it yourself. However, if the water leak is serious and it feels overwhelming, make sure you call the licensed plumber you trust. You can find one at Pomona Valley Plumbing Heating & Air Conditioning and know that your plumbing problems will be resolved with professionalism and a quality guarantee.