How to Find Hidden Water Leaks

Hidden water leaks can cost you quite a bit of money in repairs to your Edmonton home. One of the most common plumbing problems and one of the biggest causes of wasted water in your home are silent and slow leaks in your water pipes, fixtures and appliances. Because they are silent and slow, they often go undetected. When they go undetected, they can and will waste thousands of gallons of water per year.  Often resulting in considerable damage to the underlying structure of your home, ie. your foundation. Keep an eye out for the following signs of water leaks to determine if you need to hire an experienced plumber from West Coast Mechanical Corp to fix those leaking pipes or plumbing fixtures before things get worse.

• Look at your water bills.

Chances are, if you have an unusually high spike in your water bill, you may have a water leak somewhere in the house. This is even more so an issue if your water usage habits haven’t changed over the past few months. Your water bill should remain within the same range month to month. Remember that some of your pipes may be underground. You may never be able to detect leaks in this part of your system, but you will always pay for them.

• Prevalent mold or mildew.

Leaks from pipes can lead to mold growth on non-shower walls. While it’s common to see some mildew in corners of your shower, there shouldn’t be any on surfaces outside of your shower. A leaking pipe will provide plenty of moisture for mold to grow and disburse. So, the longer it takes you to detect and fix the leak, the easier and faster mold will grow. Even when there isn’t any visible growth, mold creates a musty “old basement” smell that’s hard to miss and shouldn’t be ignored. Mold growth can cause serious health complications, especially for people with sensitivities to allergies or those with asthma or other respiratory deficiencies.

• Peeling or blistering walls.

If you have a leak inside your walls, it can cause wallpaper and paint to blister, bubble, chip or peel. This is usually a sign of a leak that has been slowly growing worse over time. When drywall is exposed to moisture, it becomes soft and begins to bubble, ultimately warping and breaking into pieces. If the leak reaches the ceiling, it causes it to sag and possibly leak some of the water that has accumulated.

• Smell from old, accumulated water.

If you have thoroughly cleaned your bathroom or laundry room and still notice a musty or earthy smell, you may have a hidden leak. The water from the leak doesn’t have a chance to dry and will continue to accumulate over time. The old water mixed with possible mildew or mold will cause that musty smell that won’t seem to go away.

• Wet, damp or sagging floors.

Depending on what kind of flooring you have in your bathroom, moisture can make it feel spongy or soft. Tile may lose its grip and become loose, allowing you to easily remove a piece and possibly be able to expose water or moisture underneath it. You will also find a damp subfloor. If your bathroom floor is sinking, buckling or beginning to stain for no other reason, a potential water leak could be the culprit. The water could be from a pipe directly underneath the floor, or it could have traveled there from another area.

Don’t wait to have your pipes checked when you discover these signs of a water leak. Letting a leak go could result in considerable damage that’s expensive to fix. Instead, stop the problem before it gets worse by giving West Coast Mechanical Corp a call. Our team of experienced technicians and journeymen is fully equipped to provide your home with the plumbing services necessary to stop leaks and prevent further damage. Call us at 780.940.6850 to schedule an appointment today!