Assessing and Repairing Water Leakage in Your Home

Nobody likes to feel helpless. Everyone wants to think that when something goes wrong, they can step up to the plate and take care of the problem. This goes from changing a tire to soothing a child’s hurt feelings—and even to plumbing problems at home. There are many common kinds of leaks you might encounter in the home. Some of them are easy to fix and others require professional assistance—there’s no shame in that. Learn some information about how to assess and repair water leaks in the home, and when to call in a professional plumber.

Assess and Repair Water Leaks

The first thing you need to understand when it comes to home plumbing is that sometimes you can assess and repair water leaks in your house, and sometimes they’re just beyond the scope of your abilities. We’ve all been there, and the idea of paying for a professional plumber can be heart-wrenching. It doesn’t have to be, though. You can save money by using a resource like ServiceWhale.

Assessing Leaks

You should periodically check for leaks in your home. Any leak, no matter how minor, has the potential to create major problems that can cost thousands of dollars to repair if not quickly and decisively addressed. When the weather is cold, make sure you monitor your water usage. If you’re exceeding 12,000 gallons per month for a family of four, you’ve likely got a leak somewhere. Watch your meter for unusual changes.

Try putting food coloring in your toilet tank and seeing if it bleeds into the bowl ten minutes later. If it does, you likely have a leak. Check your fittings and gaskets to see if there’s moisture surrounding them, including around your hot water tank.

Repairing Leaks

Some leaks are easy to fix. You might just have a loose fitting that needs to be tightened. A shower head is really easy to replace. Faucets can also be pretty basic. If so, the fix is pretty simple. Unfortunately, there are dangers here as well.

Over-tightening plumbing fixtures can create more leaks or even make existing ones worse. There are products you can use to seal leaks, but these might be only a stop gap—or they could, again, make the problem worse. It’s vital to know when you have to call in a professional.

Finding the Best Plumber

If you aren’t sure whether you can adequately tackle your plumbing issue, the best bet is always to call in a professional. You may spend some cash paying out, but isn’t that better than the thousands you might spend repairing structural damage to your home from a major leak? Try logging onto ServiceWhale, where you can find the very best deals on all the best local plumbers, all licensed, bonded and certified. The process is stress-free, easy and even fun.

If you need plumbing assistance in your home, check out our awesome home improvement deals, and get in touch with ServiceWhale today.