Plumbing leaks are never a fun thing to discover, but unfortunately, they’re just another part of owning or renting a home. It’s likely to happen to you or a member of your household at some point, and it could be a simple fix or may be a sign of a larger issue. Leaks can occur in any plumbing connection or facility throughout your house: taps, toilets, pipes, shower heads, and dishwashers. Sometimes they are noticeable, and sometimes it takes a bit of damage before you recognise that something has gone wrong. No matter what type of leaks you come across, it’s important to know what to look for and how to deal with it when the problem arises.
Here are some top tips on looking after leaks:
Know about your water supply
It’s not enough to simply move into a home or build a house and just make sure that your name is on the water bill. Make sure you know where and how to turn off the water supply if you need to, where your tanks are, and how to operate everything. It’s also a great idea to ask landlords, agents or past owners if there have been any major plumbing problems in the recent past, and if there is anything you should look out for.
Identifying leaky taps
Sometimes leaky taps will be incredibly noticeable: you’ll hear or see regular drops of water that don’t stop when you turn the taps off, or you’ll notice a buildup of water in the sink or shower. But sometimes, the leak will be subtle enough that you won’t notice it. That’s why it’s important to check the prices of your water bills: if anything changes drastically month to month, that could be a clear sign that something is leaking.
How to test a leak
If you suspect a leak but can’t visually identify it, it’s important to establish whether or not you are correct. There are a few ways to do this – you can head to your meter and ensure that nothing is running in the house. Then, watch your meter – if it goes slowly or not at all, you might not have a leak, but if it ticks over as you stand there, it’s likely that something has gone wrong.
Know the common stories
Although many people assume that taps are the most likely plumbing element to go on the blink, it’s actually toilets that are most likely to spring a leak. Many people notice leaking toilets because of water on the floor or nearby the toilet base, or when the toilet is flushed and continues to pump water for a long time afterwards.
Knowing the key signs and tests of a leaking tap or pipe are a great way to ensure you are across what is happening within your water system. And once you know or suspect that a leak is present, it’s important to tackle it immediately and make sure that your leaking pipe or tap is repaired before it causes any major issues. Get in touch with the Perth plumbers, Tap Doctor WA Plumbing & Gas to get your plumbing issues sorted today!