Leaky pipes in your San Antonio, TX home won’t always leave standing water on your floor or other visible evidence. Some broken pipes can drip for weeks without ever attracting attention. Recognizing the more subtle signs of pipe damage can save you a small fortune in building repairs. The following are 11 ways to know when you have a broken pipe.
1. Sudden and Significant Increases in Your Water Bill
Although water rates are bound to rise over time, your water bill shouldn’t experience any sudden and significant increases that aren’t reflective of recent changes in water use. If you haven’t added new members to your household or installed an additional water-reliant appliance, your monthly or bi-monthly water bill should remain much the same. If you’re paying far more for water than you ever have before, there’s a good chance that a water supply line is leaking somewhere in your home or just outside.
2. Strange Activity at Your Water Meter
Among the easiest ways to check for a water supply line leak is by turning all your taps and plumbing-connected appliances off and visiting your water meter. If your water meter is actively registering water use even though no one is using your plumbing system, you have a pipe leak.
3. Damp Drywall
Although leaky pipes behind drywall don’t always create standing water on floors, they will saturate all nearby building materials. Check for wet and soft drywall throughout your home and wet-smelling building materials. Look for loose and damp baseboards and blistered or peeling paint as well.
4. The Sound of Running Water in Your Wall
Listen carefully for the sounds of running or dripping water behind your walls. Leaky water supply lines are often noisy. Moreover, unlike the sounds of running water that you hear when someone is taking a shower or has recently flushed a toilet, these noises won’t end until the affected water supply line is found and fixed.
5. Increased Humidity
Even when hidden behind drywall and other building materials, leaky pipes can add lots of extra humidity to your home. If you suddenly have damp walls and condensation-covered windows, a broken pipe could be the cause.
6. Stubborn Mold and Mildew Problems
The first step in any successful mold treatment is to find and resolve the source of extra humidity. The ideal humidity for most homes is between 40% and 60%. When humidity rises above 60%, mold spores flourish. Attempting to treat mold in an excessively muggy home is a never-ending battle.
You might have a leaky supply line or a leaky wastewater pipe. There’s also a chance that the leak is just beneath your slab. Check your crawlspaces and basement for wet insulation, pooling water on the ground floor, and cracked concrete. Slab leaks can also leave concrete covered in a white, powdery coating as pooling water evaporates and dries.
7. Decreased Indoor Air Quality
When homes have problems with mold and mildew, their indoor air quality (IAQ) declines. Some of the most noticeable signs of a plumbing leak could manifest in building residents. Be on the lookout for IAQ-related symptoms like:
- Coughing, sneezing, and wheezing
- Nasal and sinus irritation
- Frequent skin rashes or general skin irritation
- Recurring headaches
- Itchy, watery eyes
Persistent problems with mold and mildew, excess humidity, and changes in IAQ all have many possible causes. However, if you’ve already checked your HVAC system and ruled out roof leaks, your pipes are the most likely culprit.
8. Decreased Water Pressure
If you have a leaky water supply pipe, your water pressure will decline. If you turn on your taps and get a thin, guttering stream, incoming water is leaking somewhere between the water main and your faucet.
9. Discolored and Foul-Tasting Tap Water
Leaky water supply pipes can result in unsafe drinking water. For instance, if your home’s main water supply line is leaking, bacteria and soil contaminants have a way in. Even tiny, pinhole leaks can leave the water at your taps looking dingy and discolored. If your tap water smells funny, tastes different, and is anything but clear, call a plumber.
10. Unpleasant Odors
If you have a broken wastewater pipe or a damaged sewer line, you may smell foul sewer gas odors inside your home or out. Sewer gases smell like rotten eggs or rotten cabbage. If residents breathe them in for too long, these gases can cause symptoms like headaches, dizziness, and nausea.
11. Changes in Your Landscape
Underground sewer lines can develop leaks due to:
- Soil erosion
- Soil compression
- Tree and weed root encroachment
- Offset pipe sections
- Corrosion and other age-related degradation
When sewer pipes leak, they spill dangerous biological and chemical contaminants into local soils. This renders the affected areas unsafe for use by human residents and pets.
Surprisingly, a leaky sewer line can make your lawn and other nearby vegetation look extremely verdant and healthy. Although sewage is rife with dangerous pathogens, it’s also rich in nutrients. The extra moisture and nutritional support from a sewer line leak can make lawns appear bright green and heartier than they’ve ever been before. Thus, if the land just above your sewer line is suddenly overgrown, you may have a sewer line leak.
Whether due to broken sewer pipes or damaged outdoor water supply lines, larger leaks can also create soft, mushy terrain. Check your yard for standing pools of water, perpetually muddy spots, and foul sewer gas odors.
Common Causes of Broken Pipes
Understanding the causes of sewer pipe damage can also help you identify potential leaks. For instance, freezing pipes can rupture or develop stress cracks when their contents freeze and expand.
Freezing and Expansion
Although San Antonio rarely sees below-freezing temperatures, it does get the occasional cold snap. In areas with extremely cold winters, sewer pipes are typically buried at depths of five feet or greater. At depths of five feet, the underground soils maintain a year-round temperature of approximately 50 degrees Fahrenheit. In areas like San Antonio where winter is often temperate, sewer lines may be covered by just 18 to 24 inches of soil.
At the interior of your home, water supply and wastewater pipes can freeze and rupture if they aren’t properly insulated. If your HVAC system went down during a cold snap and your indoor temperature plummeted, you can schedule leak detection to verify the integrity of your pipes.
Hard Water Buildups
If you have very hard water in your home and have yet to install a water softener, heavy buildups of hard water minerals could weigh your pipes down and cause structural damage. If your pipes are nearing the ends of their lifespans, corrosion and general age-related degradation make them far more likely to leak than pipes that are new or relatively new. With aging pipes, it’s important to schedule regular whole-house plumbing inspections and leak detection services. This way, our plumbers can identify potential leaks and mitigate them before they cause damage to your home.
Soil Shifting
Placing heavy items on the ground just above your sewer line can compress the surrounding soil and crack or offset your sewer pipe. Extreme soil shifting and soil erosion can also cause adverse movements along sewer lines that offset pipe sections. If your grading has undergone a recent weather-related change, you may need leak detection service.
Since 2003, we’ve proudly served San Antonio and the surrounding cities. We offer expert air conditioning, heating, and plumbing services. We also provide top-notch ductwork services and advanced indoor air quality improvements. For professional leak detection or repiping, get in touch with Rosenberg Plumbing & Air today!
Tags: pipe repair, Plumbing tips