How Do You Know If You Have a Leak and Need to Call a Plumbing Service?

As a homeowner, it’s important to make sure you take good care of your home. The unfortunate truth is that it’s difficult to do that since you’re not a professional plumber, carpenter or electrician. However, there are some things you can do to minimize the amount of money you have to spend on plumbing service. Simply knowing how to keep an eye out for problems can save you a ton of money on plumbing repairs. If you want to keep your St. Paul, MN, home in good shape and save on plumbing repairs, here’s what you need to know about leaks and how to spot them.

Dangers of Water Leaks

If you’ve never dealt with a water leak, you might not know just how many problems they can cause. Even a small leak can be a catastrophe when it comes to the amount of money it can end up costing you. This is the main reason why it’s so important to know what to look for to spot a leak and when to call a plumbing service.

The biggest problem with pipe leaks is the water damage that comes with them. When water leaks into a crawl space or wall, it begins to damage the building materials. The longer you let that water sit without fixing the leak and drying out the area, the more likely mold is to grow in that spot. Leaks also cost money in the form of wasted water, which is why it’s so important that you call a plumbing service if you think you might have a leak in your home.

Smells

While smells are a somewhat subtle sign of a leak in your home, that’s often a sign that something is wrong. Things tend to smell a little bit different when they’re wet, especially if that moisture has led to the growth of mold and mildew. If you smell any odd smells coming from certain areas of your home, you might want to call a plumbing service to check things out.

Mold and mildew are the most common things to smell when you have a leak in your home, although you may smell a general wet smell in some cases. This smell will likely get worse over time and will only be coming from one area of the house. With time, the leak may cause enough damage that a larger area of your home starts to take on the smell.

Sounds

Sounds are another good way to tell if you might have a leak in your St. Paul, MN, home. The truth of the matter is, you aren’t always going to hear running water or a dripping sound if you have a leak in your home, but it’s a good thing to take note of. If you do happen to hear water running or dripping when you aren’t using any of your fixtures or appliances, you may want to call a plumbing service.

Oftentimes, the damage is fairly bad by the time you actually hear a noise that indicates you have a leak. Since plumbing is tucked away, many people don’t know they have a leak until a plumbing service tells them they do. If you hear the sound of heavy running water in a wall or underneath your home, you should call an emergency plumbing service to make sure a pipe didn’t burst. Leaving a burst pipe for even a couple of hours can cause a huge amount of damage to your home.

Other Signs of Leaks

Smells and sounds aren’t the only things that indicate that you have a leak. In some cases, you might be able to spot things around the house or on your water bill that make you aware of the problem. The good news is, these things are fairly easy to notice if you pay good attention to what’s going on in your home.

In some cases, you might have visible signs of water damage to a wall or floor in your home. Water tends to stain lighter colors, so you should notice a stain if you have a leak. If you do notice a water stain on a wall or ceiling, you should call a plumbing service as soon as possible.

You might also notice a softness to a floor or tub in your home, which would indicate you’ve got a leak that’s damaging the wood underneath that part of your home.

Leak Detection Systems

If you want to make sure you don’t have to pay for expensive water damage repairs because of a leak, you might want to consider investing in a leak detection system. The smart leak detection systems on the market today simply hook up to your water meter and alert you when there’s a leak. You can even connect the device to an app on your smartphone to have total control over everything.

Some leak detection systems work with smart shut-off valves that allow the leak detector to shut water off where there’s a leak. This is crucial because it saves your home from potential damage while you wait for a plumbing service to arrive.

Call an Expert

Keeping an eye out for leaks and other plumbing problems is an important part of taking care of your home. If you notice signs that indicate you have a leak or some other major plumbing problem, you need to call an expert as soon as possible.

If you’re in the St. Paul, MN, area, Paul Bunyan Plumbing & Drains has you covered when it comes to plumbing services. Whether you need a leak found and fixed, a drain unclogged or a fixture installed, we can help. Next time you have a plumbing problem you need help with, call Paul Bunyan Plumbing & Drains at (952) 209-9329.

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