Water Leakage

Steps To Avoid Water Leakage I Your Home Or Office

Water is one of the most important elements that we can’t live without. We drink it and we use it for our food and washing our laundry. Big business will not be able to exist without water. But there are times when left upon itself, uncontrolled, water may cause harm to ourselves and damage to our properties. This oftentimes happens during strong hurricanes resulting in floods. But there is a type of flooding that we can control – when it is caused by water leakage from our pipes or appliances.

Flooding can result in expensive damages to our homes – not mentioning the risk it poses to the safety of our household members. Every homeowner has the responsibility of protecting the lives and properties of his household. It is better to prevent flooding in your home than repairing the damage that it has caused. You can do this by being aware of water leakage and where they could come from.

Where Does Water Leakage Come From?
There are generally two types of water leakage that can cause damage to your properties. There is the outdoor leakage and the indoor leakage. The outdoor leaks include water leaking from the roof of the house and leaks coming from the ground such as downspouts, air conditioning tubes or pipes, damaged window caulking and the mains water line.

Any appliance that uses water or piping system where water flows is also a potential source of water leakage. Here is a list of the appliances and the areas you need to be conscious of. You need to check them regularly for signs of leaking water.

• Pipes – these includes kitchen sink plumbing, basement pipes, main water supply pipes and water pipes going to your appliances. Be especially watchful of old pipes because they are already corroded and may have pittings (small pin holes) anywhere in the pipe line. During winter, check for frozen pipes. Water turning into ice can crack open old pipes.
• Faucets -
• Toilet Flush
• Water Taps
• Dishwasher
• Refrigerator
• Kitchen Sink
• The Bathroom – Shower and bathtub, vanity sinks and toilet
• Basement pipes
• Water Heater
• Sump Pump and Sump Tank
• Water Heater
• Air Conditioner

How Can You Prevent Water Leaks
Outdoor leaks are prevented by regularly checking the condition of the outdoor sections or areas in your house. You need to check your roof regularly for holes and damages. Either replace a roof section if the damage is big or repair the damage if it is small. You need to do this to all of the other outer sections of your house like the windows, downspouts, air conditioning pipes, etc.

As for your indoor appliances and pipes, regular maintenance and check up will ensure a problem-free operation. You will be helped a lot in this regard if you will install a water alarm in every appliance or sections of the house where the potential for water leakage is very high. However, this does not negate the importance of regularly inspecting these appliances and pipes. It is better to be prepared than to spend a huge amount in correcting the damage that flooding could cause.

Insist On Quality Materials And Workmanship
As far as you can afford, go for quality materials and workmanship. If your pipes and appliances are made of high quality materials, you can be sure that they will be durable and will last long. Therefore, buy the highest quality materials you can afford and only use the services of reputable installers or service companies.

Consider that emergency plumbing companies are getting their business from homes and business experiencing plumbing leaks. Sub-standard installations and lack of plumbing maintenance are always linked to water leaks coming from bathtubs, drains, sinks, faucets and toilets. This only shows that if you want to avoid water leaks in your home, you have to use the highest quality material and workmanship you can afford.

Water Leakage Detection Is Important
Statistics show that for every 318 households, there is one house which experiences water leakage problems. A 1/8 inch hole in a damaged pipe will allow 2,500 gallons in one day. If your toilet continuously leak day and night, you will roughly pay for an additional 90,000 gallons in one month without ever using that huge amount of water. You will roughly lose 180 gallons of water through a dripping backyard faucet. Those are big amount of money that you will not be able to recover. All of these spell the importance of having a water leakage detector. They will not cost you too much as the water leakage that you may now be experiencing.