Translating…
It’s a case of what you don’t know being able to hurt you. A hidden plumbing leak can cause major damage before you even know it’s there. Leaks happen in the plumbing systems in homes all the time, but usually enough water ends up on the floor somewhere that homeowners know there’s a problem. Occasionally, though, a leak may happen deep in your walls or hidden in a ceiling, a leak you can’t see until it gets so bad that an area of the wall or ceiling becomes sodden and collapses. By then, you have a major issue to repair, so you definitely don’t want to wait so long to find the problem. How do you find what you can’t see? Read on for a few tips on locating plumbing leaks.
1. Keep your eyes peeled for spots on walls or floors that look different. They may even show a slight discoloration or bulge. Spots like this are a dead giveaway that something strange is happening beneath them.
2. When the house is quiet, listen. Do you hear any water running or dripping? If no one is presently washing clothes or taking a bath in your home, you may have found a leak. The sound just doesn’t happen unless there’s water running somewhere. Keep using your ears to pinpoint where the sound is coming from.
3. If you notice a crack in the foundation of your home, don’t just chalk it up to settling of the house. It could be a sign that water is leaking.
4. A musty smell that never goes away can mean you have hidden water pooling somewhere in your home that you can’t see. Use your nose this time to sniff out where the problem area might be and check there for other signs of a leak.
5. If your water bill all of a sudden takes a big jump, it could indicate that something is leaking. Instead of hollering at your kid about taking extra long showers, consider that you might have a much more serious problem.
Once you’ve found a potential leak, call a plumber right away. He’ll be able to determine if there is indeed a leak and will have the skills to repair it before it can do any more damage. Keep in mind that hidden leaks probably won’t be easy or inexpensive to repair. It may mean that part of the wall or ceiling will need to be removed to give the plumber access to problem area and allow him to fix it. Even so, though, a leak isn’t going to go away. It’s only going to get worse, so it’s better to meet the problem head on right now than it will be to wait until it becomes much more serious.