7 Most Common Places for Plumbing Leaks

As quality Charlotte plumbers, leaks are one of the most common problems we deal with. Almost all homeowners and business-owners have to address them at some point—the key is just to catch them before they get out of control.

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Here are the 7 most common places for leaks to occur in your home:

1. Around your toilet

While maybe not the most common place where leaks occur, a leaky toilet is almost much a guaranteed sign you will need to call a plumber. This is why you should check behind and around your toilet regularly for dampness. If you find condensation or puddles at the baseboard, or even worse, mold or mildew growing around the appliance, hire a qualified plumber immediately. Even if you don’t need to have your toilet completely replaced, this is a time-sensitive issue, and the longer you wait to deal with it the greater risk you pose of letting nasty water waste seep into your bathroom. Remember, you use your toilet every day; it’s basically impossible for it not to suffer from wear and tear. Make sure you are prepared for when this happens.

2. Under the sink

It’s a simple thing to do, but many of us still don’t consider it. So often, we wait until one of our pipes has sprung a leak, and then we call for service, instead of just sneaking the occasional look under bathroom and kitchen sinks to ensure there is no water. And if you find the water coming out of your cabinets or dripping onto the floor, then you pretty much already know whatever is going on under your sink requires professional assistance.

3. At the base of your water heater

Like your toilet, your water heater gets a lot of use. Again, you may not think to check here for leaks regularly, but it’s extremely important to do so, especially if your water contains a high mineral count. You may have a device to filter out so-called “hard” water, but it can still tear at your water heater system over time, causing damage to pipes, and potentially leading to a water heater leak.

4. Behind your washing machine

You know those tubes behind your washing machine? More water goes in and out of those tubes than anywhere in your house except for your shower. The damage that can occur if one of them springs a leak may be devastating. Next time you are doing a load of laundry, just peer behind your washer for wet spots on your walls or leading to the floor, and keep an eye out for mold and mildew in this area as well.

5. In your showers and tubs

Finally, we arrive at an obvious one, right? And yet it is surprisingly hard to detect leaks in your bathroom appliances, as they are often surrounded by tile, and tend to be fairly wet part of the day anyway. That’s why you should always be on the lookout for more water than usual in your sink or tub. And while you’re at it, pay attention to low water pressure too, as this is a likely sign your system has sprung a leak somewhere (in addition to being a generally unpleasant way to bathe). If your shower head has a leak, here are some tips about how you can fix it.

6. Around exterior spigots

Your outside spigots are obviously subject to more extreme weather conditions than your indoor plumbing equipment, making them additionally susceptible to leaks and other damage. Wet walls, mildew, and puddles around these fixtures are a strong indication that you may have a leak on your hands, if not a broken pipe on the opposite wall of where the spigot is located.

7. On your ceilings

There’s nothing quite like the horror of looking up and seeing a wet spot. Whether you have a hole in your roof, a broken pipe in the wall, or an overflowing toilet, it is important to act immediately if you see wet spots on your ceilings. While the problem may be hard to detect, not to mention much less severe than you think, it’s still better to be safe rather than sorry in these cases. Call our emergency plumbing team as soon as possible if this is the case.

Don’t let a leak ruin your day! Call now to schedule service from an experienced technician with Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Charlotte, or contact us online to request a job estimate.

About the Author: William Iliev, Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Charlotte

William has been a trusted plumber and owner of Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Charlotte since 2003. With over 15 years to back him, William has experience with a wide range of plumbing-related solutions and systems. He and his team specialize in water heater services, tree root plumbing repairs, and more.