Water Pipe Leak

How To Prevent A Water pipe Leak 

A water pipe leak can be a small thing that is very easy to repair or it can be a huge disaster depending on its effects on the household. Even if the leak is small, if it is left uncorrected, it can cause damages to your home and increase your water bills. According to reports, about 5,300 homeowners in two counties in Maryland have experienced expensive piping problems caused by pinhole leaks in their water pipes in 2002 to 2004. The damages done to their walls and floor coverings were huge and the repair and replacement costs were staggering.

This situation brought about a collateral damage – the homeowners’ house insurance was adversely affected. The insurance companies were willing to pay for the damages but they will either limit the coverage or cancel the coverage for the same incidents. One insurance report says that “water is the most common cause of home damage today – more likely than fire. Americans are spending twice what they were 10 years ago to repair water damage and the typical cost to repair water damage now stands at $5,000.” It is therefore important to be informed about water pipe leak to avoid this very costly condition.

Causes And Types Of Water Pipe Leaks
Knowing the causes and types of water pipe leaks will help you to find or watch out for leaks that are not very obvious. It can also help you choose the best way to fix it and to prevent it from happening in the future. Here are some of the common pipe leaks experienced by homeowners.

1)  Leaks in water supply – this can be subdivided into three types:

• Gusher water supply pipe leaks – a burst, cracked, split-open pipe, or a pipe with separated joint will emit a gushing sound because of the sudden rush of leaking water as soon as you turn the water on. You will immediately hear the sound or see the flooding or wetting near the area of the leak.
• Drip and pinhole leaks – a loose thread pipe fitting, worn valve stem packing, pitting or pinholes resulting from pipe corrosion, or even a small nail or screw driven into a pipe can cause drips of water from a pipe. This type of leak takes longer to trace because of the small amount of leaking. But you can find them if you consistently search through all your pipe lines. If you find that a nail or a screw is the culprit, don’t immediately pull it out. You might end up with a bigger leak. Shut of the main valve first and drain all the water in the pipe before you do anything.
• Faucet leaks – all types of faucets develops leaks around the valve stem packing which leaks only when they are in the open position - meaning that water is running at that faucet. The leak can be visible or hidden. You can see the visible leak around the faucet control when the faucet is opened and stops when the faucet is closed. The hidden leak usually shows up at the bathtub and shower controls mounted vertically on walls. They may leak inside the wall cavity while the faucet is opened. These leaks are usually slow drips and it may take months before you notice it. You can suspect that there are such leaks if you see water stains or molds in the ceiling or walls below the faucets or plumbing fixtures.

2) Leaks in drain pipes – leaks of this type are similar to hidden water leaks in our faucets because the drain pipes are hidden inside walls or countertops. If you see stains and molds at the ceiling or walls, suspect a leaking drain pipe above it. These leaks will be visible if your drain pipes and drain taps are visible such as in the basement or your undersink kitchen plumbing, or if the leak is a gusher type leak where huge volumes of water suddenly appears.

How To Prevent Water Pipe Leak
The best way to avoid experiencing a water pipe leak is by following these simple steps:

• Make sure that your piping materials and fixtures are strong and durable. Buy the best quality material you can afford.
• Make sure that all of your piping, faucets and water fixture installations are done in the right way, where all the joints are tight enough.
• Schedule a regular inspection of all of your piping and drainage system. Check for rust and corrosion. Also check for loose fittings and joints.
• Repair or replace when necessary all pipes and fixtures that are old or worn out.
• Install water alarms or leak detectors in places or appliances which might be the source of water pipe leaks. If there is any leak, this will prevent the damage from getting bigger.