Things You Must Know: Plumbing Leaks

5/21/2021 (Permalink)

You don't need to know everything about plumbing, but it's important to understand the basics, especially when it comes to leaks.

Wrap your pipes in heat.The important feature is the exterior piping. If the cold-water pipes touch the exterior portion of the building, when the water isn't being used and the temperature is very cold, most likely the pipes will freeze. The only time water won't freeze is when it's moving, so it's is a good idea to leave all the faucets open while you're away from home for any length of time. The best thing you can do, however, is insulate the whole space.

You may not know what's right, but you can usually spot what's wrong. Take a quick look at any visible pipes in your house, just to keep up on what's going on with them. Homeowners often don't routinely check; then a puddle of water appears in the basement, damaging their valuables, and they had no inkling that anything was amiss. You can look at the pipes in your basement and have no idea what you're looking at, but if you see rust, buckling or drops of water, you'll definitely know something's wrong.

A stuffed sink can easily spring a leak. Under your kitchen sink, just take a peek every once in a while and see if there are any drips. It's always a good idea to take a look.

A leaky water heater is a dead water heater. The biggest problem is that the lining wears away and you get water dripping from the base. If a lot of water is dripping, call the manufacturer and provide the model number; you may get lucky and find that the product is still under warranty. When you do change the water heater, try to install a pan under it.

Trace the trap leak back to the wall. When you have a leak, often it may be on the back side, where it actually connects to the wall, in which case you'll have to disassemble the drain work. Oftentimes you can even tighten it with your hands to see whether the leaking stops. If it doesn't, just use a wrench to tighten it up a little.

Washers and o-rings are much cheaper than a new fixture. If a washer is worn, even though you squeeze it, you may still get a drip if it's defective. You have to remove what's defective, put in a new washer, retighten it, put the handle back on and test it out.