Signs Of A Leaking Pipe In Your Home

What are the Signs Of A Leaking Pipe In Your Home?

That’s a big statistic, but it’s a good frame of reference for how even a small leaking pipe in your home can contribute to huge amounts of water wastage.

Just like your other utilities, water bills are rising every year and many Australians are looking for ways to cut down on their water usage both for the future of the planet, and the health of their hip pocket.

We believe both concerns are valid, which is why we recommend paying close attention to the plumbing in your home and being proactive about possible leaks.

But how exactly do you detect a leak?

Here’s what we recommend doing:

Watch your water bills closely:

Apart from the usual fluctuations in your water bill due to the season or other factors, watch for an unexplainable rise in cost every month.

For more pronounced leaks, you may notice a larger than expected bill one month and this is a good indicator that you may have a serious leak.

Check for visible mould and mildew:

While a little bit of mould and mildew in the base of your shower is normal in even the cleanest of homes, anywhere outside the shower or bathtub is very much out of the ordinary. Mouldering walls, baseboards and ceilings are not normal, and you should call an expert plumber the second you find any source of possible water damage.

Musty smelling rooms can indicate a leak:

Because your plumbing is hidden from view, chances are you can smell a leak before you can see it. The mould and mildew we mentioned above may be inside the walls and ceiling or under the floor.

Know that it’s never normal for properly ventilated rooms to smell musty, even if you live in a humid climate.

Water that sits in one place for a long period of time begins to stagnate, producing a terrible odour that will overpower any other scent in a room.

Be proactive and check for a running meter:

A great test as to whether your house has a leaking pipe is to shut off all sources of water in the house. No toilers, appliances and taps running at all.

In theory, your water meter should completely stop, right? Yes, but if the meter does continue to tick upwards, you’ve most likely got a leaking pipe.

Do you have a rainwater pump? If there are no taps turned on but you hear you pump engage, high chance is that you have a leak somewhere.

A leaking pipe can do significant damage to your home. Fortunately, these signs are very clear to anyone on the lookout for them and fixing a leaking pipe is usually very easy if you call a professional plumber to do the job.