Leak detection and repair are among the most important services we offer for plumbing in Glendale, AZ. No homeowner wants leaky pipes or fixtures in their house since this wastes water and can lead to mold growth and building damage. Since most of the piping in a house is hidden from sight, locating leaks is difficult and requires plumbers with the right skills and tools.
We’re going to answer four common questions people have about the hidden leaks they may have in their homes. We hope this helps you deal with potential problems and avoid the worst outcomes of leaky plumbing.
1. Is there anything I can do to prevent leaks from starting?
Yes, but you cannot stop all leaks through preventive measures. Unfortunately, one cause of hidden leaks is a type of corrosion that occurs in copper pipes called formicary corrosion. This corrosion leads to pinhole leaks, which are difficult to catch. Formicary corrosion comes from chemicals in the water or in the air of a house, and it’s hard to stop it from happening. The best way to avoid leaks is to have repiping done for the house if the plumbing is old (more than 50 years).
2. Can I locate hidden leaks on my own?
It’s possible—but you won’t be able to locate them with the precision necessary to repair the leaks, nor do you have the equipment and training necessary to excavate the pipe, remove the leaking section, and replace it. You can do detective work to determine that you have hidden leaks by checking the water meter, but once you know about the leaks, it’s best to leave the detection/repair job to licensed professionals.
3. How much water does one of these leaks waste?
When we talk about something called a pinhole leak, it doesn’t sound intimidating. Yet the cumulative water waste from these leaks can be staggering. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, 10% of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day, with a total for the country of one trillion gallons wasted through leaks a year. As a basic guideline, if a family of four has water use per month in excess of 12,000 gallons, it means there are major leaks.
4. How do professionals find hidden leaks?
The methods and techniques of leak detection continue to advance with each year, and our plumbers use the best tools and the most up-to-date training. Detection starts with plumbing knowledge to narrow down where leaks are most likely occurring. Once our plumbers have a general sense of the problem and where it’s coming from, they use tools such as acoustic listening discs to hear the sound of water escaping and special thermal scanners that pick up on temperature differences and pressure rises in areas where water is leaving a pipe. Video camera equipment inserted into the plumbing can pinpoint leaks and their size with great precision.
We have emergency services available to handle your home’s leak problems. If you aren’t sure about hidden leaks in your house, scheduling leak detection is an excellent preventive measure that helps you get ahead of problems.
Trust The Trusted Plumber.
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