Top Causes of Water Leaks in Your Home and When You Need Plumbing Repair | Spring, TX

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Most people don't think about their plumbing system until they notice a lack of water pressure, no hot water, or a leak. At that point they start to pay a lot more attention to their plumbing system and call a Spring, TX company for help with plumbing repair. 

Leaks are one of the most popular plumbing issues that plumbing repair companies get called about in Spring, TX. While there can be hundreds of reasons for leaks in your home, there are some common causes. Knowing what causes leaks may help you prevent them and help you treat them when they do. Here are just a few of the top causes of water leaks in your home.

Frozen Pipes 

While frozen pipes are not as common in Spring, TX, there are occasionally cool nights and because Texas homeowners are not used to preparing for a deep freeze they get caught off guard. A plumbing repair associate will tell you that frozen pipes have a high likelihood of bursting. Frozen pipes can cause severe flood damage and result in a very high repair bill due to the high amount of property damage. For this reason, you should always insulate our pipes even if you live in a generally warmer region. If you suspect that your pipes have frozen, you can try to thaw them out with a blow dryer while you wait for a plumber to come out and investigate.

Poor Construction or Initial Installation 

Homeowners in a newer home are often surprised when they find themselves with leaks, but failure to properly prepare the foundation of a home can lead to leaks. Ideally, soil is properly compacted so that there is not much settling over time. This also prevents the foundation of the home from shifting. However, when this isn't done or when the soil is not of high quality, the foundation can shift leading to your plumbing system shifting as well. If you think this could be an issue you should call for plumbing repair right away. Proper adjustment of piping could save you from needing to replace your entire plumbing system.

The shifting often causes pipes to break, crack, and even burst. Along the same vein, a major plumbing system like your water heater or even your facets can start leaking because of poor installation. This is why it is best to hire licensed plumbers to handle any plumbing repair tasks or installation tasks around your home. Hiring a plumber to do the job right the first time will save you from calling for emergency plumbing service which usually will cost you a lot more.

Roots in Your Sewer System

While you may only think about the plumbing inside of your home, the truth is your plumbing system extends well into the front and possibly backyard of your home. There are pipes buried many feet under the ground that take your sewage water back out of your home. These pipes are often disrupted by invasive tree roots that slowly poke through joints in the piping. Eventually, as the roots grow larger they can cause the joints to push apart or even collapse from the force. 

As a result, you will probably notice a very strong sewer smell emerging from the ground. This is due to the leaking sewage under the ground. You also may notice that your drains are starting to drain slowly or not at all. Tree roots are one of the leading causes of clogged drains and backups into the house. If you think you have a problem with tree root intrusion you need to call for plumbing repair in Spring, TX right away. If you can avoid a costly and smelly backup you will be ahead. 

Leaky Appliances or Fixtures

Sometimes a leak is not coming from a pipe, but instead from an appliance or a fixture. For instance, you may notice water pooling on the ground around your toilet, out of the side of a damaged faucet, or from a crack in your dishwasher hose. All of these can cause small damage that goes unnoticed over time until the wood underneath is rotted through and gives way.

A regular plumbing inspection done by a licensed plumber can help troubleshoot some of these issues, but there are also some tests you can do at home to try to prevent a late-night emergency call for plumbing repair. Every so once in a while, you should try to rock your toilet to see if it rocks at all around the base. It should sit firmly and securely on the floor. You also may want to examine the hoses of your washing machine, dishwasher, and ice machine from time to time to ensure that the hoses don't show any sign of wear. If these appliances have rubber hoses, you may want to think about replacing them with much more durable steel braided hoses instead.

Pipe Corrosion

Unfortunately, there is not much you can do about natural corrosion that occurs in your piping system. Older homes tend to have more water leaks because they're copper and steel pipes have corroded from the minerals inside of hard water. Corroding pipes tend to leak before they burst, which means that any leak should be a sign that you need to call for plumbing repair. Catching a leak early can help you save your home from massive water damage down the line.

If you notice a leak in your home, give bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of Northwest Houston a call. We have a team of highly experienced plumbers that are ready to troubleshoot the cause of any leak in your home. We offer suburb plumbing repair and maintenance options to our customers so you don't have to worry about the leak causing permanent damage to your home.