Plumbing leaks occur in most homes at some point. Almost everyone at some stage or the other has already gone through the situation. Some water leaks are easier to detect whereas some are not but this becomes a task and a challenge when it starts showing in your water bills. Failing to locate and repair a concealed plumbing leak may result in property damage and higher water costs. The majority of plumbing leaks occur near drains, sinks, showers, and toilets. Follow these easy actions to preserve the structural integrity of your home.
Splash leaks
A splash leak according to the plumbers is a common type of bathroom leak. This is a leak that is often found around the shower doors or the curtain doors where most of the damage is done by water seeping in through the subfloor. The water seeps through the flooring connecting the tub or the shower as the water seeps through the flooring the tiles or the vinyl flooring start to get loosened as an aftereffect. The subfloor starts to delaminate and rot thereby creating a huge financial crisis over replacement repair or wear and tear
How do you find and fix splash leaks?
Water stains over the ceiling, developing mold and spotting on the walls near the tub or shower and the paint starts to wear off leaving a flaky finish near the shower. The tiles or the flooring next to the tub start getting loose. To fix the splash leak, make sure that you correctly overlap the sliding doors when you close them. The door that’s inside should be in close proximity to the faucet. If you have a shower curtain instead of a door make sure you close it fully. You can also try replacing old door sweeps or door gaskets but make sure the new door sweeps or door gaskets are an exact fit.
Drain leaks
Leaking drains may pose a significant threat to the flooring or ceiling underneath if left unchecked. In case of drain leaks, the water is accumulated outside the shower drain when the drain pipe is connected to the shower or the tub. This can often be seen in fiberglass or plastic drains.
How do you find and fix drain leaks?
The loose flooring surrounding the water tub or any stains on the ceiling might serve as indicators of drain leaks. If you find a drain leak on the underside, fill the tub halfway and let it drain, or connect the shower drain and let it drain. You should tighten the ring that connects the drain to the shower pan an alternate method is to simply replace the drain assembly to check if the leak is from the tub you will have to unscrew the drain flange and then apply some silicone caulk to seal the leak
Tile leaks
when the water seeps in through the deteriorating caulk or grout to the walls beneath the tiles you can say that there is a tile leak the materials that were used in fixing the tiles to the wall can also play a major role the consequence is tiling falling off the walls damage to the ceiling or severe damage to the wall framing
A plumbing leak is a common household issue faced by most homeowners. Almost everyone at some stage or the other have already gone through the situation. Some water leaks are easier to detect whereas some are not. But this becomes a task and a challenge when it starts showing in your water bills. Failing to find and fix a hidden plumbing leak can invite trouble causing damage to your house and also a rise in your water bills. Most of the plumbing leaks are found around drains, sinks, showers, and toilets. Follow these simple steps to maintain the structural integrity of your house.
Splash leaks:
A splash leak according to the plumbers is a common type of bathroom leak. This is a leak that is often found around the shower doors or the curtain doors where most of the damage is done by water, seeping in through the subfloor. The water seeps through the flooring connecting the tub or the shower. As the water seeps through the flooring, the tiles or the vinyl flooring start to get loosened. As an aftereffect, the subfloor starts to delaminate and rot thereby creating a huge financial crisis over replacement, repair or wear and tear.
How do you find and fix Splash leaks?
Water stains over the ceiling, developing mold, and spotting on the walls near the tub or shower. The paint starts to wear off leaving a flaky finish near the shower. The tiles or the flooring nest to the tub starts getting loose. To fix the splash leak, make sure that you correctly overlap the sliding doors when you close them. The door that’s inside should be in close proximity to the faucet. If you have a shower curtain instead of a door, make sure you close it fully. You can also try replacing old door sweeps or door gaskets, but make sure the new door sweeps or door gaskets are an exact fit.
Drain leaks
Drain leaks can be a cause of big concern if left unattended. It can play a major part in ruining the flooring or the ceiling below. In case of drain leaks, the water is accumulated outside the shower drain when the drain pipe is connected to the shower or the tub. This can often be seen in fiberglass or plastic drains.
How do you find and fix drain leaks?
The drain leaks can be identified by the loose flooring around the water tub or if there are any traces of stains on the ceiling. To check if there are any drain leaks on the underside, you can fill the tub partially and release it or you can connect the shower drain and then release the water.
To fix the drain leaks, you should tighten the ring that connects the drain to the shower pan. An alternate method is to simply replace the drain assembly. To check if the leak is from the tub, you will have to unscrew the drain flange and then apply some silicone caulk to seal the leak.
Tile leaks:
When the water seeps in through the deteriorating caulk or grout to the walls beneath the tiles, you can say that there is a tile leak. The materials that were used in fixing the tiles to the wall can also play a major role. The consequence is tiling falling off the walls, damage to the ceiling, or severe damage to the wall framing.
How do you find and fix tile leaks?
Check the loose tile behind the faucet or open the access panel and look for any signs of stains or dampness. Finding the presence of mold in the gaps of caulk joints or grout is another identifying criterion of tile leaks.
You can fix the tile leak by removing and replacing the old tiles, grout, and caulk. If the damage is severe, like if there are more loose tiles, then you should install a new backer board and place tiles or fiberglass shields.
Sink leaks
Sink leaks are more common occurrences in the kitchen. When there is a leak in the sink, the water seeps through the rim of the sink or faucet. This leads to waterlogging in the cabinets thereby damaging the cabinets or countertops.
How do you find and fix sink leaks?
Puddling of water or traces of stains inside the cabinet, a loose faucet, a loose plastic laminate, or a flaky caulk around the sink are all major signs that your sink is leaking. You can use a flashlight to check-in for any sink leaks underside the countertops if you are having a plastic countertop.
You can also find the leak by dribbling some water in the sink.
You can fix the sink leaks by tightening the nuts around the faucet base. Tighten the clamps that connect the sink to the countertop. Check for caulking sink rims and recaulk them.
Toilet flange leaks
Leaks in waste pipes below the toilet cause the toilet to leak. Water seeps out of a flush, which in turn damages the ceiling, and destroys the subfloor.
How do you find and fix toilet flange leaks?
Find out if your toilet is leaking by looking for water around the base of the toilet, stains on the ceiling, loose flooring, or broken tiles. Also, you can tell that the toilet is leaking because it rocks a little when you give it a light push. To fix the plumbing leaks, put the toilet back in place with a wax ring, and put a plastic flange riser over the old flange. If a bolt or flange is broken, a metal repair flange can be used to fix the problem. If the floor where the toilet was installed isn’t even, put toilet shims under the toilet.
Supply leaks
Supply leaks can go unnoticed over a long period of time as they are installed at the back of the cabinet. The water from the sink can drip down onto the floor from the pipes thereby damaging the sink base, flooring, subfloor, etc.
How do you find and fix supply leaks?
Pat dry paper towel or tissue paper on the shutoffs and connections and look for wetness. Also, check for stains if any. The plumbing leak can be fixed by tightening the packing nut on the valve stem. For leaks at the faucet, tighten the compression nut first. If the supply leaks still exist, dismantle the fitting and recoat the gasket with Teflon joint compound and then assemble again.