Leaky pipes are amongst the most common reasons to call over a plumber, second only to clogged toilets or leaky faucets. As with clogged toilets, for example, finding the source of the problem isn’t always rocket science. It’s often a clump of toilet paper or wet wipes improperly flushed down the bowl; sometimes, however, the problem is a little deeper down.

Similarly, leaky pipes might seem fairly obvious – there’s a crack, hence the leak. But why did it leak in the first place? Knowing the reasons why can save you plenty of time and money as well as mitigate damage to your home.

Little Leaks, Big Problems

Don’t ever underestimate even the tiniest leak in your home. A small sprinkle from under the sink, behind the toilet, or elsewhere inside of your home will continuously flood the home with water, even if slowly at first.

Leaks behind walls can be a real problem to find because the damage is not necessarily visible from the pipe itself but rather from wet spots on the walls or ceiling.

Big or small, give a plumber a call the moment you find a leak in your home.

So, what causes pipes to leak?

Extreme Water Pressure

The only reason why you should want high water pressure is for showering, where it’s nice and refreshing. 40-45 psi is a reasonable range of pressure in your home plumbing, with the maximum that most homes can handle at around 60 psi. If you push the limits too hard, the added strain on your plumbing can wear them out and lead to leaks eventually.

Pipe Corrosion

High-quality copper pipes conveying water through the home do wear out over time. Poor quality pipes, or if they’ve been improperly installed, will certainly wear out faster. In all cases, pipes do corrode gradually over time.

The danger of corroded copper piping is that the copper can leach into the water supply and lead to potential health hazards. Leaks will also inevitably happen along the pipe as it wears out.

Water Seals Broken

Every fixture in your home has its own water seal where valves and connectors allow water to come and go from the fixture as needed. These water seals are connection points that can wear out or become damaged over time.

The result is almost always a light spray or drip from the connection point, which obviously has implications such as puddling and thereby causing damage to your floor and home.

Worn Out Pipe Joints

Just as with copper pipes, pipe joints do wear out over time. There’s a reason why plumbers tend to use high-quality pipe joints made of durable materials; the smaller surface area of these critical juncture points means that they are far more prone to wearing out than longer areas with more surface area such as long, straight sections of pipe.

If your pipe joints have worn out, then leaks will most certainly occur at the connection point. A qualified plumber will be able to attach a new joint and seal it properly.

There are some other common reasons for pipe leaks, such as drastic changes in temperature, tree roots near the home’s foundation, and clogs. For all leaky pipes, choose to work with reliable, qualified plumbers in Melbourne.

Locality Plumbing

Get in touch with us at Locality Plumbing today.