Home Maintenance: Little Drip….Big Problem

Home Maintenance: Little Drips can become big problems

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Even a little water leak can cause a big problem in your home. I know, because it has happened to me more than once. There are certain hot spots for leaks to watch out for. Some leaks are obvious, but others are hidden and can cause lots of damage before you even know they are there. Here are some paces to watch for leaks:

In the Yard

The most well hidden leak I ever had was in the front yard. I did not give another thought to why my grass was greener than the yards around me. It was not until I got my water bill for the month that I knew something was wrong. It had more than doubled! Angry, I called up the water company and demanded they come out and check the meter. When they did the meter was under water! A pipe going from the water main to my home had cracked and was leaking underground. Of course that was not something my water company had to deal with. It was all on me. Calling out a plumber he thankfully had to dig only a little section of my yard up to find the leak. One new pipe section later and it was all fixed.

In the Wall

Another very well hidden leak happened because of a storm. During the storm a ladder fell over and fell on top of the back yard faucet. The faucet looked undamaged, but the pipe inside the wall had twisted and formed a small crack. Over the next few hours that crack spread and water hissed from the pipe. Of course, I didn’t know anything was wrong until we noticed that a section of the interior wall was dripping and the carpet was wet! We ended up having to cut out a section of the siding to get to the broken pipe and replace it.

In the Attic

It is never a fun experience when your ceiling starts raining on you. Unfortunately it has happened to me twice. The first time was in the garage. The drainage hose for the air conditioning unit became clogged during the hottest part of summer and the drip pan couldn’t handle it all. I walked out into my garage to find a puddle forming on the floor and tiny rivers running across the ceiling. I had to call out an air condition repair man before I could do anything about the water just to get the problem fixed. After several failed attempts the flow was finally redirected properly but not before part of the ceiling gave up the ghost and collapsed onto the floor.

The second time happened in the downstairs bathroom. A steady plink and a damp spot next to the toilet let me know something was wrong. A drain pipe from the upstairs shower had cracked allowing the water to come through the floor. It got fixed before major damage occurred but it was still a shock.

In the Bathroom

The bathroom is the most obvious place to get a leak. The faucet was my big problem. I thought the leaky faucet in the bathtub could be fixed with a new washer but I was wrong. It was too old to be repaired and had to be replaced. Well, that meant breaking out the tile around it to get to the main pipe. What a hassle and a mess!

Needless to say, I am wary of any kind of leak in my home now. Keep an eye out for damp spots and keep your home safe from water damage.

Author Bio:

Ken Myers is the founder of  https://www.longhornleads.com/ & has learned over the years the importance of focusing on what the customer is looking for and literally serving it to them. He doesn’t try to create a need, instead he tries to satisfy the existing demand for information on products and services.

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About the Publisher

Bo Kauffmann is a residential real estate agent with over 18 yrs experience in helping buyers and sellers achieve their goals.  Inducted into the REMAX Hall of Fame in 2010 and receiving the REMAX Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019, Bo has sold over 500 houses and condos in the Greater Winnipeg market.  He is an accredited buyer representative (A.B.R.) and a Luxury Home Marketing Specialist.   Bo provides exceptional service to First-Time Home-Buyers, Seniors looking to downsize and Home Sellers of all ages.   He can be reached easily   By E-Mail or call/text him   Call/Text Here

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