Imagine water leaking somewhere in your home—somewhere out of sight. How in the world will you be able to determine where that leaking is occurring? If you can’t locate it precisely, will you have to tear down walls or tear up floors in order to seek it out so it can be repaired? This all sounds like a nightmare! But don’t worry, we’ve got good news for you.
While in the past, it was often much more challenging to pinpoint the source of plumbing leaks, things have changed a lot. Modern plumbers have modern equipment and know-how. With the help of advanced technology, professional plumbers can easily locate hidden leaks and repair them with precision. How? We’ll explain.
Determining That a Leak Is Occurring
First, you’ll need to know that you have a problem. How will you know that there’s a hidden leak somewhere in your home’s plumbing system? There are many signs. If you spot even one of them, consult a plumber for leak detection in Tucson, AZ right away.
- Sounds: If you hear water running or dripping when no fixtures or appliances are in use.
- Water Heater: While you might have a leak in a cold water pipe, it’s actually more likely for it to happen in a hot water pipe, because it undergoes so much strain from expansion and contraction with temperature changes. A hot water leak will cause your water heater to run a lot more than usual.
- Warm Patches: Before water soaks all the way through to make a wet patch on a wall, you may be able to feel the warmth if it is hot water that’s leaking.
- Stains: Discoloration from a leak can happen gradually, making it hard to notice, but do keep an eye out for it.
- Warped Wood: Floorboards or other woodwork will swell, bulge, or warp when they are exposed to water.
- Foundation Cracks: Slab leaks are one of the sneakiest hidden leaks, occurring below your slab or foundation. They can cause cracks in the concrete.
- Usage: If water is leaking, your meter will keep track of it, and you’ll have to pay for it. If your water bill has been increasing, this could be why. If you’re not sure, check the meter, then turn off all water-using appliances and don’t run any water at all for at least an hour. Check the meter again—has there been any water usage? That’ll be your leak.
Locating the Leak
Plumbers will begin with visual inspection to get a sense of where the leak is. Their training and experience helps them pick up on tiny clues you may have missed. Then a variety of impressive technology can be employed. This may include sound sensors, infrared imaging, and even tiny video cameras that can be inserted far into your plumbing to pinpoint the exact location of the leak.
Repairing the Leak
Since the pinpointing process has eliminated the need to open up large sections of wall or floor, the repair can be done with precision and extremely minimal collateral damage. But what about those slab leaks? How can you repair a leak that’s occurring under your foundation? With trenchless technology, unnecessary digging can be avoided, your yard preserved, and the leak precisely repaired.
Contact Picture Rocks Cooling, Heating & Plumbing today to schedule an appointment with our professionals.