Hidden Leaks in Your Home

Tracing hidden water and sewer leaks can be extremely difficult, but is necessary to avoid the potential damage that the leaks can cause. If you notice a leak in your home, Roto-Rooter can assist by providing professional water leak detection service and equipment.

Here are some signs and symptoms that you may have hidden plumbing leaks:

• You hear the continuous sound of water (like a toilet running) when nothing is turned on.

• Your water meter reading changes when you aren't using any water. (Mark the indicator on your meter; don't use any water for a couple of hours; then check the meter. If the indicator moved, you may have a leak.)

• Your water bill escalates over a period of weeks or months.

• Your walls or floors have wet, spongy, moist or discolored areas when nothing has been spilled.

• You smell foul odors coming from floors or walls near drains or sewers.

• You find warm spots on your floor, particularly on concrete slab floors.

There are some measures homeowners can take in order to detect potential hidden plumbing leaks before they get out of hand:

Kitchen and Bathroom Leaks

Open cabinet doors beneath sinks and shine a flashlight inside to look for moisture at joints, Signs of a leaking pipe may also include corrosion on the supply line fittings and valves. Clear out the cabinet and examine the bottom for water stains, dampness, mold or mildew, and buckled or peeling material, which indicates a leak has occurred.

Ceiling, Floor and Wall Leaks

Examine the flooring around fixtures and appliances that use water, including toilets, bathtubs, dishwashers, and refrigerators. Cracked or warped flooring or spongy spots in the floor indicate the presence of moisture and a possible leak. Examine the walls and ceilings in rooms located directly beneath bathrooms as well. Stains on the ceiling or walls, and bubbling or peeling paint or wallpaper, indicate a leak somewhere in nearby pipes. Contact a Roto-Rooter plumber to inspect and repair the leak, and to confirm its location before you begin ripping out walls or floors.

Basement Leaks

Inspect exposed pipes in basements and crawlspaces. Corrosion, mineral buildup or moisture present around the pipes indicates a leak. If you see mold, mildew or rotted wood around these pipes, your leak is probably in this area. Water tends to travel downward, and often the location of water stains is not the exact location of the leaking pipe. Still, it is a good indicator of the general area of the source of moisture.

If you suspect a leak in your home, be sure to call your Roto-Rooter plumber. If a leak happens to cause water damage to your home, Roto-Rooter specializes in water damage restoration services.