Water leaks can wreak havoc in your home. You need to learn about how they can appear in your home in order to avoid them using smart methods. It is important that we understand the nature of common leaks and then identify the best practices that allow your home plumbing to remain trouble free. First, we describe what water leaks are and the present some important tips that can help you avoid them by performing preventive care whenever possible.
What are Water Leaks?
Water leaks are the instances where we see that water is moving out of the plumbing and the fixtures without a person operating them. It usually appears when fixtures and the plumbing fail due to some reason. We commonly find small leaks in the form of a dripping tap or water fixture. Another issue, where a leak may appear is where the pipes join or aggressively change direction.
Hot water plumbing can also suffer from water leaks. These leaks appear because hot water may activate some chemicals in the water and they can react with the pipe to damage it and develop a leak. Water leaks can cause a serious loss of water and therefore, they do not represent a good gesture for the environment. Understanding how to avoid them is essential for behaving as a responsible citizen.
Avoiding Water Leaks
Water leaks can severely damage your property. Although it is impossible to avoid a leak in your plumbing system, there are some steps that you can take in order to reduce these problems. You can also ensure that you lose less amount of water from your plumbing system and reduce the strain that you put on the local utility resources.
Here, we share some top methods that you can use to control water leaks. Remember, taking care of your plumbing system and performing preventive care are the true methods of resolving water leaks.
Cleaning Spouts
You can avoid water leaks by periodically cleaning your gutters and water spouts. This ensures that there is no standing water and the way is clean for use. If you allow the blockage to build up over time, you will find that your roof and the gutters may develop strong deposits which stop the natural flow of water and creates leaks in your pipes.
A good practice is to clean your water exit pipes twice each year. This cleans them up in every season and ensures that your system is ready to remove excess water that may otherwise, cause serious water leaks and damage your roof and the spout systems. Cleaning such systems may not be possible as a DIY project. You should contact a professional contractor in such cases and ensure that your systems remain protected with periodic cleaning.
Testing Water Pressure
An important activity that can save you from numerous water leaks is to ensure that you test the water pressure in your plumbing. Remember, most local building codes insist that the water pressure in normal lines should never go above the 80-psi mark. There are several situations where it may cross this mark and put too much pressure on your water plumbing pipes.
Water leaks may start to appear after some time, if you constantly operate your home system at high water pressure. Checking the pressure is like checking your blood pressure and ensuring that it remains within the limits defined by the best medical practices. Similarly, you should ensure that the water pressure in your house is within well-defined limits.
Although you can use a water pressure regulator according to the manufacturer’s instructions, it is ideal that you contact a professional plumbing contractor and ask them to perform the required pressure adjustment activity. A licensed professional will ensure that your water pressure is properly adjusted while you still enjoy the possibility of enjoying showers with pressured water.
The water pressure regulator works well at all pressures and therefore, you may not know about the exact setting without the use of proper testing equipment. You should ensure your safety from water leaks by asking a professional plumber to perform the required testing procedures.
Replacing Old Valves
Another practice that allows you to avoid water leaks is to replace your old plumbing valves from time to time. The ideal way to do this is to get quarter turn valves which are easy to operate and can easily be installed in the existing plumbing network. The old valves are a primary reason for developing localized water pressure which often corrodes and damages pipes. This often results in a water leak that can affect the whole plumbing and stop you from using your property in a normal manner.
Managing Appliances
There are several appliances such as water heaters, dishwashers and air conditioning units that depend on water supply and your house plumbing. If some of these appliances are not working properly, they can often affect parts of your water supply and drainage, and destroy the entire system due to a mishandled appliance.
These appliances are often connected to the water supply with rubber pipes. You should install steel braided pipes and lines that are excellent at protecting the waterline and ensure that water leaks do not occur frequently, due to minor problems. Ensuring that your appliances are properly operating is a sure way of improving your current use of plumbing and avoiding water leaks.
Periodic Service
The ideal way of avoiding water leaks is to enjoy periodic plumbing service from a top service provider in your city. Professional plumbers understand the problems that cause water leaks and they can perform preventive maintenance in your home. This ensures that nothing can surprise you and make you fall in trouble with water spread everywhere.
Many plumbing companies offer annual service plans where they visit your house a few times each year and make sure that they check that everything is in the right working order. This helps you avoid the common water leaks that can really trouble you as an owner.
Mesa Plumbing Company understands the problems created by water leaks. Their expert professionals ensure that your plumbing remains in pristine condition and is free from any issue that may produce a leak!