What Should I Do If There Is A Water Leak In My House?
Frequently Asked Questions
If the water leak is from the plumbing in your home, locate and turn off the main water valve. If the leak is from a specific fixture, such as a toilet or hot water tank, it will have a separate shut-off to stop the flow of water. That way, you can still use the water in the rest of your home while Plumbtech Plumbing fixes the leak.
How do I know if the leak is from the plumbing?
Water will appear in places it isn’t supposed to – pooling on the floor near a hot water tank, around the base of a toilet, or anywhere there is a plumbing fixture, line, or fitting. Your water meter will indicate a leak, and you may notice an increase in your water bill. Your sump pump fails to remove water from your basement. You may also hear it – the sound of a drip or the hiss of pressurized water escaping a burst pipe. Leaks may also occur from factors other than plumbing, appearing in your ceiling or in an area of your basement where there is no plumbing.
What causes a leak?
There are many reasons for a water leak ranging from a burst plumbing line to a worn-out cartridge in your faucet and more. In addition, 25% of the leaks in a house come from factors other than plumbing. If a nail or screw punctures a pipe in the wall while hanging a picture or installing or fixing a baseboard, a copper pipe will leak right away. A plastic pipe may take longer to leak. A leak will often occur if a nail or screw punctures the sewer pipe.
How do I know if the leak isn’t caused by plumbing?
It will likely occur away from plumbing sources, such as on the basement floor or the ceiling of upper-level rooms closest to the roof. It can happen if there has been heavy rainfall.
How does heavy rainfall leak into my house?
Water will pool on the basement floor if there has been a lot of rainfall and the ground can’t absorb all of the water. It can also occur in the early spring if the snow has melted quickly and the ground is still frozen. Rainfall can also splash from the ground onto your foundation wall and can enter your basement through any crack in your foundation. Rainfall coming off the roof may overwhelm the eavestrough, spilling onto the ground and into your home through cracks in the foundation. If your eavestrough is plugged with debris or frozen solid, water will find its way into your home.
Why is there water on my basement floor?
Beyond heavy rainfall, leaking plumbing lines or fixtures, or if your sump pump fails, water can also enter your home through the basement windows, if the caulking is worn or cracked.
Why is there water on my ceiling?
If your shingles are old, worn, or peeling, they won’t be able to repel rain. Water will come through the roof, into your attic, and leak through the ceiling. Caulking around your vents and chimney on the roof doesn’t last forever, and replacing it is often missed when old shingles are replaced with new ones.
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How do I know if my bathtub is leaking?
Water on the floor could occur from splashing in the tub. A bathtub can leak if you’ve turned it on to fill it, walked away to do something else, or forgot to go back and turn off the tap. Water, instead of overflowing the tub, will go through a hole in the side of the tub or front of the tub above the drain plug. From there, it will travel into the tub drain. If there is a plug in the overflow tube, or the drain trap or pipe, water will overflow the tub
onto the floor. The tub will also overflow if the overflow gasket is dried out because it is unable to maintain a watertight seal.
How do I know if my taps are leaking?
You will see water around the tap. If your tap turns off, but the water doesn’t, it could be the result of a worn cartridge. Faucets will also leak because of damaged or worn parts such as a washer or gasket.
Why is my bathroom sink leaking?
Any fixture will leak if there is a blocked drain. A sink will also leak if there is a crack in the porcelain.
How do I know if my toilet is leaking?
Toilets can leak if the gasket or wax ring seal, or foam has dried out, worn, or becomes compressed. Water will leak onto the floor at the base of the toilet. The water supply tube, located outside the toilet, could leak. Toilets can also leak water from the bowl into the drain if there is an issue with the flapper in the tank. The water level in the toilet bowl will drop, and when it gets low enough, the fill valve or ballcock kicks in to refill the tank.
The fill valve or ballcock brings water into the tank after every flush. If there is an issue with the ballcock or other parts in the tank, water will continue to run. Use the toilet shut-off to turn off the water and call Plumbtech Plumbing. If the toilet shut-off is seized or leaks, turn off the water at the main shut-off and call Plumbtech.
What do I do if the hot water tank leaks?
While it is a good idea to have the ability to shut off every fixture, only the toilet and hot water tank are required to have their own shut-off. It is a requirement of the Plumbing Code of Ontario, which is part of the Plumbing Code of Canada. If there is a problem with the toilet or hot water tank, these fixtures can be shut off individually to fix, repair or install a replacement. Otherwise, use the main shut-off valve. It will turn off the water supply for the whole house.
What do I do if the main shut-off leaks?
If the main shut-off leaks and you are on municipal water, contact your local municipality for advice. While the main shut-off valve belongs to the homeowner, the municipality’s water operations may be able to repair it or replace it for a fee. It may save the extra cost of having the city or town locate and turn off the curb stop which is owned by the municipality. The curb stop is the connection between the residential and municipal water service.
Why is my water meter leaking?
Your water meter may develop a leak if it is older. As the meter is owned by the municipality, contact water operations to repair or replace it.
