Suspect a Pipe Leak in Your Home? Here’s What You Should Know

 

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A pipe leak in your home is definitely a cause for concern. Fixing broken and leaking pipes can be a pain because they’re expensive to fix. And, lead to damage to other items and belongings in your home which are also costly to replace. But, even worse, if you don’t know that a pipe is leaking inside of your walls, this can lead to other, more serious issues. When a pipe is leaking in a home, it can lead to issues like:

  • danger to the health and safety of you and your family
  • damage to belongings, walls, flooring, insulation, and appliances
  • expensive repair and cleanup bills
  • damaging structural integrity
  • water damage
  • mold growth

Fortunately, there are things homeowners can do to prevent leaking and breaking pipes. Furthermore, there are steps homeowners can take when they suspect a leaking pipe in order to prevent further water damage and potential, more serious issues.

Some Ways to Prevent Broken and Leaking Pipes

Making regular inspections of your pipes can help you to determine if there are any pipe leaks in your home. This can tell you early on if you have a leak which can help to prevent further damage – saving you time and money on repairs. Some other things homeowners can do to prevent broken and leaking pipes include:

  • refraining from storing any chemicals around piping
  • not storing things too close to the piping
  • don’t install drains that aren’t necessary
  • cleaning out garbage disposals regularly
  • don’t use a garden hose to unclog piping
  • refrain from letting too much residue go down drains

If you feel that piping that’s attached to a drain is clogged, it’s best to ask for professional assistance from a plumber. Often, broken and leaking pipes are a result of homeowners trying to fix a clogged pipe themselves, leading to the breaking of pipes which can result in leaking.

What Can Homeowners Do If They Notice Broken or Leaking Pipes?

The type of leak from a pipe can help to determine what type of fix it requires. If pipes are leaking from the seams of the joints, this may be a fixable issue that simply requires tightening. However, if you see that pipes are leaking elsewhere, this may mean that the pipes need to be fixed. First, you can turn off the water supply to the pipes. Then, contact a plumber to replace the piping that has broken. The best thing to do is respond immediately when a leak is noticed so that further damage can be prevented.

Once the Damage is Already Done From Leaking Pipes

Sometimes, homeowners may not know that a pipe is leaking until many weeks or even months after it starts. Thus, resulting in water damage. In this case, it’s important to assess the damage of a leaking pipe by looking for water damage or mold growth around the pipe leak. If there is water damage or mold growing, it’s best to get the opinion of a mold remediation specialist in order to determine what type of treatment can be done. Certainly, you’ll need to address the leaking pipe first with the help of a plumber. Then, a mold remediation specialist can help to dry the area out and remove any mold that is present.