Water Leak? It May Be an Easy Fix
Dealing With a Water Leak?
Before you can fix a water leak, you need to figure out where it’s actually coming from — and that’s not always as obvious as it seems. Just because you see water pooling in one spot doesn’t mean that’s where the leak began. Water follows the path of least resistance, often traveling along pipes, joists, or inside walls before showing itself.
Take your time to trace the leak back to its source. This step is crucial — without pinpointing the origin, any repair attempt is likely to fall short.
Once you’ve identified the true source of the leak, you can start evaluating your repair options. Some leaks, like those hidden in a concrete slab or requiring pipe soldering, are best left to the pros. But many others — such as dripping faucets, leaking toilet bases, or loose hose connections — are well within reach for a capable DIY homeowner.
Water Leak Under the Sink
When you're getting a steady drip or even a torrential downpour under your sink, it's usually a fairly simple fix. Start by tightening all connections located at where the pipes meet. If this doesn't resolve your leak, try adding a little plumber's putty. Putty is cheap and easy to apply and can be applied liberally without harm. And, fortunately, if you don't make it look super pretty it doesn't much matter being that your work is hidden under the sink.
Leaking Faucet
Repairing a faucet is much more difficult than replacing one. If you're considering keeping your existing fixture and hope to have it repaired, we recommend giving us a call. We'll come out and assess the best repair route for you. If you're considering replacing your faucet, this gets a little easier. Determine first which style you have and purchase a new faucet of the same style. From there, just follow the directions and hook everything together. This is basic plumbing 101, and if you put your mind to it you'll get it done. However, if you don't have the time or physically can't get down and under your sink, we'd love to help.
Crawl Space Water Leak
The first thing you need to do when you find a water leak in a crawl space is determine where the source of water is. There are several possible sources of flooding in a crawl space, including surface water, groundwater, active plumbing problems, and severe humidity issues. After you find the source of the issue, you can decide if it seems within your skill set to resolve it. A busted PVC pipe, for example, is not unreasonable for a homeowner to repair themselves. The parts are available at your local hardware store and there are a great many how-to videos online on how to fix a water leak in a crawl space. You'll have options to cut and replace a section of piping, or to use rubber or silicone repair tape, repair epoxy, a fiberglass wrap, or rubber and hose clamps.
However, crawl spaces can be filled with some real dangers, especially if the area is flooded. Before you begin to deal with water in a crawl space, perhaps after a heavy rain or noticeable leak, look around where the problem could be to ensure that there aren’t any wires or electrical outlets near/in the water. When doing this, make sure to be fully covered and make sure all appendages are properly closed off to the environment as there could be dangerous bacteria in the area. Be aware of sharp rocks, broken glass, loose nails, or other potentially hazardous debris, as well as dangerous animals like snakes, spiders, rats, racoon, and opossums that may be venomous or pose a rabies risk.
It is also very important to be aware that there may be heavy, toxic, and invisible gasses that can sit in the area. If possible, have a few fans going to blow air into the gap before entering.
Ceiling and Wall Leaks
Ceiling and wall water leaks are easy to spot when sheetrock turns wet and begins dripping. But where you see the wet spot often is not the location of the leak. You'll want to get into your attic and, potentially, cut open your wall to look around and find what is leaking. You'll need to determine what kind of piping the leak is coming from and consider repair options from there. Most likely, this type of leak is going to require a certified plumber to take care of.
Slab Leak
Because slab leaks are so volatile, the best way to deal with a leak in a slab is to recognize the signs of leak. The key signs to look for with slab leaks are hearing running water when it's turned off, a spinning water meter when water isn’t in use, mildew or moisture under carpeting or other flooring, visible cracks in the floor or walls, a noticeable rise in insect problems around the home, the pungent smell of sewage or higher than usual water bills.
Slab leaks detection calls for a leak detection agency working with a plumber that will carry out an in-depth and comprehensive process. We work closely with several leak detection companies and can make a good recommendation.
Need Help With Your Water Leak?
Our team of expert plumbing pros can resolve any regular or emergency leak you're dealing with. Whether it is beyond your skill set or you just don't want to crawl under your home, our team can help. Give us a call to schedule your plumbing service today and we'll get a plumber out right away!