Why You Need to Stop Ignoring Leaks

Source: smartthings

If you hear squealing, shrieking, trickling, gurgling or splashing noises, in your home, then there is a good chance that you are dealing with a leaking pipe. This kind of sounds you water leakage should be inspected and be dealt with. By ignoring a leak in your home, you risk other problems.

Increased Humidity
It is common knowledge that water which accumulates in your home from seepage will eventually evaporate. Although, that takes care of the puddle on the floor, all the moisture ends up accumulating in the air in your home. This will eventually drive up the humidity in the atmosphere. HVAC systems in the house can manage the humidity, but air-conditioning, will have to run much harder and for longer time periods to get rid of all the humidity in the air.

Mold
Mold is an unfortunate, and a common occurrence in homes. It can be detrimental to the health of everyone living in the house. Mold spores are known to spread easily and are often conducted from the room to other living spaces, mostly by HVAC systems that cause movement of air into, out of rooms.

Mold spores generally require three things to grow and spread, two of which includes food and warmth. Both of these are adequately present in most basements. Food for a mold includes any organic material that includes wood, paper, drywall etc. Moisture being the third factor, when there is an increase in the moisture content, even long-dormant mold spores can spring to life and cause havoc.

What to do when you witness a leak

• Shut off the appliance valve when you spot the leak. If that is not possible, then it's advisable to shut off your home's main water supply. It is important that you know where your shut-off valves are located at.
• If the water leak is near electrical outlets, then it is advisable to turn off the electricity from your fuse/breaker box.
• If the need does not arise to turn off the electricity, you should turn on fans and a dehumidifier which will allow you to start drying out areas which are wet.
• If the source of the leak is a ceiling, then place a bucket under the leak.

So, when you spot that leak in your home, don’t ignore it. Get in touch with a plumbing professional who will locate the leak and fix it for you. Leaks at times are also subtle indications of major underlying plumbing problems. The sooner you get in touch with a professional, the better it is.

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