How to Find A Hidden Water Leak

"Still waters run deep." No doubt you've heard this truism. Well, the last place you want to find that still water is  pooling under your bathroom floor, or behind your kitchen wall. Although these are the places you think of when you think of water, the sad truth is any room in your house may be harboring a hidden water leak if pipes run through its walls or underneath its floorboards.

Should one of these pipes burst, you'll know right away, but if it has a small leak, the quietly accumulating water under the floor will do just as much damage - it can even seep into the foundation if it goes undetected long enough. And those walls painted in the color you searched far and wide for last year may sprout mold so gradually that you won't notice until they've become an eyesore and a smelly one at that. So what can a homeowner do? Keep an eye out for the warning signs that you have a hidden water leak in your home.

Signs that You Have a Hidden Water Leak

Molds and mildew reproduce by means of miniscule spores that float through the air. If any of these spores land on a wet or damp surface like a wall, they will grow there. Sooner or later your eyes and perhaps your nose will alert you to their presence. This is one sign that a water leak may lurk within your wall, but what if there's a leak under your floor? Your nose and eyes won't tell you, but your feet may.

If a floorboard previously feeling solid when you walked over it begins to feel spongy or soft, it's a definite uh-oh. Don't shrug it off or ignore it. This is a sign of a slab leak, an insidious leak underneath your foundation that will lead to expensive repairs. Speaking of expenses, if your water bill suddenly spikes, it's time to look for a leaking water pipe.

How to Locate a Hidden Water Leak in Your House

No pun intended, but it makes sense to use your senses to locate the source of a leaking water pipe behind your walls or beneath your floor. 

Your Sense of Hearing

Shut off all the water in the house. You will also need to rule out all competing sounds which means every cellphone, computer, television, and appliance needs to be turned off or silenced. And don't forget to shut the doors and close the windows. Now stand in the middle of the room and listen. If you hear running or dripping water, there's a good chance there's a leaking pipe somewhere in that room.

Your Sense of Touch 

Feel the floor. If you have a leak there, the wood or linoleum may have cracks in it. If there's a rug or carpet, lift it and feel around. Its underside and/or the floor beneath will feel damp to the touch in the instance of a leak. If this turns up no indication of a hidden leak, move on to the next room. If none of your detecting efforts turns up signs of a water leak, you can release a sigh of release.

But if you do find a sign of a leaking pipe, or have a nagging sense that something damp is amiss, you need to bring in the professionals. For anyone living in Conroe, North Houston, or any of the surrounding areas in Montgomery County, contact Pilot Plumbing for professional and expert plumbing assistance.