5 fuites de plomberie les plus courantes dans votre maisonmost common plumbing leaks in your home

March 22nd, 2021

Dripping water might not seem like a huge problem at first, but if left unattended, it can end up costing you a lot of time and money to fix. Dealing with plumbing leaks as soon as they start is important so that you can:

• Avoid wasting water
• Keep your water bills low
• Protect your floors, cupboards, walls and ceilings from water damage
• Prevent the need for unnecessarily complex and invasive plumbing repairs

While you can never tell exactly when and where your plumbing will spring a leak, there are some areas in your home that are more susceptible. In this post, the plumbing experts at Plomberie Lalonde in Gatineau share their tips for what to look for.

Here are the 5 most common leaks we find in people’s homes

Down the Drain

The drain of your bathtub, shower or sink is generally a weak spot that can develop a leak over time. The first section of pipe leading down from the drain is also a common place to find a water leak.

To avoid water damage from a leaky drain or down pipe, regularly inspect your basin, shower and tub drain. Look for water damage or discolouration on the floor or in the cabinet below your sink. For tubs and showers, the damage will show up in one of two places: either on the ceiling of the room directly below or in the tiles or flooring around the tub or shower.If you see any of these signs of a leak in your drain or drain pipe, get a plumber fast before the damage gets worse.

In hot water

Traditional water heater tanks hold a lot of water. That means they have the potential for leaking all of that water all over your basement floor. As such, it is essential to regularly inspect your hot water tank for signs of decay and leaks.

The first spot to check is the pressure relief valve. Listen for hissing noises as a sure sign that the valve is leaking. Another way to check for links is to sprinkle a light dusting of flour or baby powder on the floor around the tank then watch for little paths to open up. Even the smallest trickle or droplets of water can be detected this way and give you an important headstart in calling in a plumber to help solve the issue before the tank bursts.

Soapy suds

Another common place for water leaks in your home is below and behind the dishwasher. There are numerous reasons that your dishwasher might start leaking:

• Leaky hose
• Bad seal
• Clogged drain
• Rusted frame

No matter where or why your dishwasher is leaking, the signs are the same: puddled water on the floor below your dishwasher or worse, water dripping from the ceiling on the level below. Don’t ignore any amounts of water leaking out of your dishwasher: call in a professional before the drips turn into lakes.

Toilets part 1

Any leaks in the intake valve and hose to your toilet have the potential to release unlimited running water onto your bathroom floor. A tiled floor might keep small amounts of water contained for a little while. But when the valve or hose fails completely, the gushing water can quickly penetrate through the edges of the flooring and even infiltrate your ductwork through the floor vent.

If this happens, react quickly:

1. Close the water valve under the toilet
2. Close the main water valve for the house
3. Lay down towels and blankets to absorb as much water as you can
4. Place buckets to catch drips on the level below
5. Call the plumber

Toilets part 2

Toilets can also leak due to the bowl running over. This can be caused from:

• Improper flush from a clogged or blocked drain
• An overfilled tank due to problems with the float adjustment
• A blocked vent pipe that replaces the air in the pipe after each flush

A plumber can help you with all of these issues to make sure your toilet does not continue to overflow and damage your floor, walls, and even ceiling below.

Drip, drip, drop

Even though they might not cause damage to your home, we want to include dripping sink faucets on our list of top 5 common leaks because we hate wasting water. Over time, dripping taps can waste a significant amount of water and some homeowners even see their water bills climb. Defective or damaged o-rings, washers and gaskets are usually the culprit for leaking faucets, although corrosion and the build up of mineral deposits can also make your taps drip.

If you’re not able to find a DIY solution for your leaky faucet, please be kind to mother nature and call in a plumber for help.

Saving the word, one drip at a time

These are just 5 of the countless sources for water leaks in your home. If you need help with any water leaks, please reach out to the plumbing experts at Plomberie Lalonde. We serve the entire Gatineau region for residential, commercial and industrial plumbing needs. Consider us your water superheroes, saving the world one drip at a time! Consider us your water superheroes, saving the world one drip at a time!