| Dealing With Leaks | | | | very important to know where your main water shut |
| Of all the problems that can occur in your plumbing | | | | off is located and how to turn it off. If you have a |
| system, none have the potential to be as costly as a | | | | supply pipe leak, getting the water turned off quickly |
| good, old fashioned leak. Big or little, fast or slow, | | | | can prevent thousands of dollars worth of damage. |
| leaks cause millions of dollars in damage every year. | | | | Galvanized Pipe Is Especially Tricky |
| Plumbing leaks come in two varieties, water supply | | | | Once the water is off you can begin to try to |
| leaks and drain leaks. Although water supply leaks can | | | | determine what the problem is. If you have an older |
| do more damage faster, a leak of any kind should | | | | house you may have galvanized pipe leaks. These are |
| not be ignored. Just look at the Grand Canyon to see | | | | especially tricky because when you fix one you may |
| what water can do. | | | | cause another by disturbing the old pipe. |
| Drain Leaks | | | | Nails Don't Always Leak Right Away |
| Drain leaks most often occur around toilet drains, tub | | | | A fairly common cause of leaks in copper piping is a |
| or shower drains, and under cabinets. They often | | | | nail in the pipe. Many times these leaks will not show |
| show up as a spot on the ceiling below. | | | | up for quite some time, however long it takes the |
| If you see a water spot on your ceiling, check | | | | nail to rust away. Always be very careful when |
| directly above for a leak. If you find nothing there | | | | installing baseboard or other trim. |
| check under all the fixtures and in every vanity. | | | | Working With Plastic Pipe |
| Often water will run across a ceiling and show up in a | | | | While leaks in galvanized or even copper pipes require |
| seam or low spot. | | | | special skills and tools, plastic piping is fairly easily |
| It's a good idea to check under all your cabinets | | | | repaired. You need to be sure what kind of pipe you |
| periodically for leaks. If you find a problem you can | | | | have because different types of pipe use different |
| often correct a small leak by just tightening the slip | | | | glues and cements. Pay close attention to the curing |
| joint connections in the piping. If you have leaking | | | | times for the cement so your fresh repair doesn't |
| metal p-traps you can probably change them to PVC | | | | blow apart when you turn the water back on. |
| for less than the price of a happy meal. | | | | Some plastic pipe, like PEX, can't be glued and must |
| Leaks From Fixtures | | | | be joined using special fittings. The pros usually use |
| Another common plumbing problem is leaks from | | | | barbed fittings with crimp rings and special crimping |
| individual fixtures. These vary from refrigerator water | | | | tools but there is a fairly new product that you can |
| filter leaks to leaking kitchen faucets. Most of the | | | | use called a shark bite fitting. Unlike its namesake, a |
| time there are individual fixture stops, or valves, | | | | plumbing shark bite type fitting is a good thing. |
| which turn the water off to that fixture only. If so, | | | | Shark Bite Fittings |
| this allows you to stop the water leak and still have | | | | These plumbing shark bite fittings just push on to the |
| water to the rest of the house. | | | | pipe. No tools or special skills required! The only time |
| When you are checking under your cabinets pay | | | | you need a tool is to remove them. What's so really |
| careful attention to the stops and to the supply lines | | | | good about these plumbing shark bite fittings is that |
| going to your faucets. These are prime places for | | | | they actually work very well and are used by many |
| leaks. Use your hands to feel for water on these | | | | professional plumbers every day. |
| since it is often hard to see a very small leak. | | | | So...we've learned that all plumbing leaks are not a |
| The Most Urgent Leaks | | | | reason for alarm. Many are simple to fix with easily |
| The most urgent kind of leak is a leak on the main | | | | learned skills. |
| water supply piping in your home. That's why it is | | | | |