Inevitably you will encounter a plumbing leak in your home. Whether your home is a new build, renovation, or just an old classic character home, leaks happen, fixtures age and we are here to guide you through some of the more common leaks that we see day to day and how to prevent them.
Common Plumbing Leaks: What We See Most Of
Over the years, we have seen a trend in the types of leaks our customers encounter. While you cannot prevent leaks forever, knowing the common spots where these can occur gives you areas to check regularly in your Spring and Fall Annual Home Checks.
- Faucets that Drip: That drip, drip is often due to worn-out cartridges. We love Delta and Moen brand fixtures not only for their easier installations but also because these time-tested brands stand behind their products and have exceptional customer service for replacement parts (including cartridges), many covered under warranty too.
- Running Toilets: Not only can the sound of a continuously running toilet be irritating, but it can also waste water and increase your utility bill. When we encounter continuously running toilets we look at the chain lengths and condition of the flapper.
- Leaky Pipes: Poly B often comes to mind when we think of leaks that seem to occur “out of nowhere”, but this can also happen to pex water lines or copper as they age over time or if they are not properly insulated on outside walls, etc.
- Showerhead Drips: Similar to bathroom faucets, showerheads also have cartridges that wear out over time and need to be replaced.
- Clogged Drains: While not a “leak” in the traditional sense, clogged drains Calgary can cause water to back up and overflow
How to Prevent Plumbing Leaks
While there is no way to ensure you will absolutely never encounter a plumbing leak, there are a few things you can do to reduce your chances of having a leak or at the very least catch the leaks sooner before the damage to the surrounding area increases.
- Check Regularly: Spring and Fall are great times to set reminders to check around the home in areas that are often overlooked, such as behind washing machines, furnaces, under downstairs sinks, or other seldom accessed areas. However, we also recommend single-use water alarms for these areas – they function similarly to a common smoke detector in your home but for water. Once the alarm senses water it continuously beeps to alert you of the presenceof moisture. The alarms are relatively inexpensive and once activated by water need to be disposed of and replaced. There are more advanced systems, such as the Flo by Moen, that analyze water pressure, and spikes in water usage and can provide a more accurate timely response when you are away from your home, and while we love this system the higher price tag can make it unattainable for some homeowners.
- Drano, just say no: From the 90s I can remember the commercials as a kid, the animations of the “foam” magically clearing drains. Well, let’s just dispel the magic. Chemicals to clean your drains, such as drano are harsh chemicals that while they break down the items in your pipes they can also start to corrode your pipes from the inside and weaken the inside walls, leading to leaks.
- Insulate Outside Wall Pipes: If you have pipes on the outside walls of your home, it is a really good idea to insulate them. While there are several ways to achieve this, from simple foam that wraps around the pipes to heat tracing the lines, it is a must-do in areas of your home that are exposed to the colder elements.
How to Fix 3 of The Most Common Plumbing Leaks Yourself
1. Fixing a Drippy Faucet or Showerhead
More often than not this is due to a worn cartridge. The first step is to identify the brand and model of your faucet/fixture. Once that is determined you can go to YouTube and search “cartridge replacement” for your brand and model. There will more than likely be a video tutorial for you to watch. As for sourcing the parts, you can call the brand’s customer service and they will direct you where to find a replacement part, or ship one to you, sometimes even for free!
2. Fixing a Running Toilet
There are 3 key areas to look at when your toilet just won’t stop running.
- Check the Flapper: Pop open the tank lid and check the flapper – this is the large piece of rubber that is connected to the toilet chain and is lifted when the handle is depressed. Over time the flapper can become warped or cracked and not seal properly. A trip to your local hardware store with the old flapper will allow you to source a replacement.
3. Unclog Your Drains Naturally
Before your kitchen sink or bathtub just won’t drain, when you notice slower drain times you can use a natural DIY solution to help increase the rate of drain speed. :
- Baking Soda and Vinegar: 2 things that you probably already have in your kitchen, or have used with your kids for a science experiment. The same fizz that gets the kids to smile can also leave you smiling with cleaner drains. Here is what to do:
- Prep the drain by pouring a pot of boiling water down the drain, followed by 1/2 cup of baking soda, let this sit for a few minutes. Next, pour a mixture of 1 cup vinegar and 1 cup of hot water down the drain. The fizzing reaction helps loosen things on the walls of the pipes and can increase the drain speed.
Harper’s Plumbing: Your Solution for Leaks and Clogs in Calgary
If you find yourself in the Calgary area, and you are dealing with a stubborn leak that you just can’t fix, have gotten your cartridge halfway out and are stuck or just have a brown spot on your ceiling and don’t know where the leak is coming from – we are here to help! Our team is on standby 24-7 ready to book your call and dispatch a Сalgary plumber in case of an emergency.
All of our team is well versed in plumbing and all of our plumbers have achieved Journeyman status, meaning they have more than likely solved a problem like yours before and will have the knowledge and experience to efficiently and effectively get your home back on track.
