Plumbing Leaks – How to Minimise Water Damage on Your Property
No matter how careful and vigilant you are on your property, all homeowners will discover a plumbing leak in the home from time to time.
The frequency in which you notice a plumbing leak, however, can be dramatically reduced if some common ground rules are followed.
Here in this article, we aim to provide you with the knowledge and skills to hopefully spot the warning signs of a plumbing leak. Once you do you will be able to minimise the damage it can do to your home!
So, read on below for our best tips on how to stop a plumbing leak causing water damage on your property.
Don’t Leave Water Consuming Devices On When You Are Not Home
Now it goes without saying that if you leave home, you will not leave the oven or TV on. It is a waste of gas, electricity and is often associated with fire risks.
Now our first tip is to take this diligence and apply it to all of your water consuming devices. That means your washing machine and dishwasher! Never leave them running when you are not home.
If a pipe comes loose at the back and starts leaking (or god forbid flooding), you must stop this as quickly as possible to avoid water damage to your walls, ceilings, floors or surrounding areas.
We know it can be tempting to leave it running as you go to drop the kids off to school. But you would be surprised how many times people will say to their plumber “I only popped out for a second, and when I came back water was everywhere…”.
Don’t be that person. Limit the use of these devices to when you are at home. That way if you spot a leak you will likely be able to deal with it quicker and avoid the plumbing leak causing expensive water damage to your property.
Know The Location Of Your Stopcock
Now we often go on about this a lot. Every homeowner in our opinion should know exactly where their stopcock is, and how to turn it off.
The stopcock on your property acts as a shut off valve, to stop the flow of water on your property. So if you have spotted a leak it should stop the pressure from building and the leak from getting any worse.
You can then have an experienced plumber fix the leak without the risk of further damage occurring.
It is important to ensure that multiple members of your household know where this is and how to operate the stopcock. Not only does this take the pressure off of one person’s shoulders, but it also means that people are more vigilant in your household to leaks, and the first step to successfully dealing with them.
Install A Water Leak Detection Device
Now the wonders of technology have allowed you to control many things in your home. From controlling the temperature of your house from your phone, to smart fridges that can let you know when you are running low on milk.
Thankfully, technology can also help you to prevent leaks from causing water damage. At a relatively low cost you can install a device that remotely shuts off your water supply when it detects a leak in your system.
This can work much quicker than the naked eye, as leaks which are not visible are detected. You often link this device to your phone and receive an alert when there is a problem with your water system. That way you can feel safe in the knowledge that even the biggest of leaks will have the water shut off immediately and minimise the chaos and destruction that would have been caused.
If you are interested in installing one of these devices read up online for the best water security systems and installers in your area. We recommend that you give GROHE a look in for how they can help improve the water security on your home.
Get Leaks Investigated And Repaired Promptly
By now you probably have a good idea about the damage a leak can cause if left unattended. What you may not realise however, is that even the smallest of leaks, can become huge, and often expensive, problems if they are left unattended.
Water pressure has an effect over time and turns even the smallest of cracks into giant gaping holes if given enough time. The time to act when you spot a leak is right there and then.
If you are going to tackle the leak yourself be careful to avoid making common DIY plumbing mistakes. You are much better off calling out a highly experienced plumber to tackle the repair works on your behalf.
You should be aware that usually your standard home insurance will not have you covered if the water damage is found to be caused by a lack of maintenance on your property. Often the damage will need to be proved to be from an occurrence that is sudden and accidental in nature.
Leaving a leak on tomorrows to do list can often create you a whole wealth of problems you did not even consider.