As a homeowner, there is a good chance that you will find yourself dealing with leaky pipes every now and then. This is a situation that a good plumber should be able to handle rather quickly and easily, but you could be wondering what causes leaky pipes to happen in the first place. They can obviously occur for various reasons, but these are some of the most common.
1. Old Pipes
For one thing, just as any other component in your home, you can expect for your plumbing pipes to begin to wear out as they get older. If your home is old and you have not had your plumbing re-done, then you can expect for your older pipes to begin to leak here and there. Luckily, replacing them with newer, high-quality pipes can help you prevent any future problems.
2. Foundation Issues
Many homeowners dread the day that they have to deal with foundation issues with their homes. As you might already know, foundation problems can be quite expensive to fix. What you might not realize, however, is that a failing foundation can cause a lot of interior damage to your home as well. Along with having to worry about things like cracks in your walls and doors and windows that don't open and close properly, for example, you may also find that your home will experience plumbing problems because of your foundation damage. This is because your pipes can shift out of alignment and can become damaged when your house shifts too much.
3. Extreme Cold
You may have heard the advice about leaving your water running slightly when temperatures drop below freezing so that you can keep the water moving through the pipes. The reason why this is often suggested is because it can help prevent water from freezing in your pipes when it's really cold. If water does happen to freeze, it can cause your pipes to crack or otherwise become damaged, which can cause leaks. For best results, it's a good idea to put insulation around your plumbing pipes if you would like to prevent this. In a pinch, however, the trick to leave your water trickling on really cold nights can help.
As you can see, there are various reasons why your pipes might be leaking. If you are currently dealing with leaky pipes, calling a plumber can help you fix the problem. In the future, looking out for these three things can help you prevent any issues.
Share17 June 2017
My homes have always had either copper or PVC plumbing pipes. But when my plumbing system needed an overhaul last spring, I wanted a piping system for my home that I could work on myself when needed. There were a lot of good reasons to choose PEX piping, but my favorite thing about the PEX piping is that it's easy to work with, even if you're a beginner like me. Now I can make small repairs myself instead of calling the plumber every time I have a minor leak or other small problem. I still call the plumber for the big stuff, but it's more affordable now that I can take care of small issues myself. I started this blog to help others learn how they, too, can do DIY plumbing repairs at home.