Have you noticed that some water is leaking from a pipe in your home? If so, then you might not know what steps to take next.
It’s important to know what to do ahead of time so that you can react quickly when the situation arises. That way, you can go assure the leak stops and is fixed by a professional in a jiffy.
If left alone, the leak can lead to standing water, which will cause mold in cabinets, water damaged ceiling mold, and more.
See below for what to do about a leaking pipe and the necessary steps that you need to take in the process.
1. Turn Off Water Supply
So you’ve noticed a leak in your house, but aren’t sure where the leak is coming from and which pipe has a hole in it.
Before anything else, you need to shut off the water supply inside your home. Do not leave the water on to try and find the leaking pipe. Leave that to the professionals.
Go to your main water supply (generally in a crawl space, basement, or garage) and locate the main dial to turn it off. Turn the dial clockwise, which will shut off all the water inside your home.
This will prevent the leak from continuing until you can contact a professional. However, always perform this step before you call an emergency service to help you out.
2. Find the Source of the Leak
Even with the water on and leaking, finding the source of the pipe leak would be difficult to do. Now that you’ve turned off the water supply, it will be nearly impossible.
There’s several places it could be. The leaking pipe might be located in your ceiling, in the walls, in the cabinets, underneath your floors, or elsewhere.
Not only do you have to worry about fixing the pipe, but also getting rid of the standing water from the leak. If you leave it there, then you will have mold growing in your walls, cabinets, ceilings, or wherever the water has congregated.
Be sure to ask the restoration company if the water removal is included in the service or if you’ll have to hire another service to perform it. Either way, it needs to be taken care of as soon as possible.
3. Turn on All Faucets Connected to the Leaking Pipe
Even after you turn off the water supply inside your home, it won’t immediately stop the pipe leak from occurring. There is still the water inside the pipe that you have to worry about.
For that reason, you must find all faucets connected to the pipe (whether inside or outside) and drain them as quickly as possible.
Go to the lowest faucet that you can find, which is typically the outside faucet, and turn it on. Let it run until it is completely drained and no more water is coming out. If you believe another faucet to be connected to the leaking pipe, let that one drain as well.
If you’re unsure which faucet is connected to the leaking pipe, then it’s safer to let all the faucets in your house drain. That way, no other water will leak from the pipe and cause further issues.
Once all the faucets are completely drained, be sure to close them back up for when you turn the water supply back on.
4. Dry Off the Leaking Pipe
For some of you, the leaking pipe will be glaringly obvious. You won’t need to have a professional service locate it, you’ll just need them to fix it.
If you know which pipe is leaking, then you must take extra steps towards treating the problem until the service arrives.
Start by drying off the leaking area by dabbing at it with a washrag. Make sure to completely dry the hole, crack, or disconnected piece of the pipe where the leak is. Also, make sure the entire pipe is dry to prevent rusting or freezing in the wintertime.
5. Use Plumbing Epoxy Until Help Arrives
Just to clarify, plumbing epoxy is not a long-term solution for your leaking pipe. It’s a short-term solution until the professional service arrives.
First, look at the crack/hole of the leaking pipe to determine how much plumbing epoxy you’ll need. It’s a similar texture to clay, so you’ll be wrapping it around the entire pipe.
Roll a bit of epoxy in your hand and push it down on the crack, ensuring that it covers the entire crack. Make sure the epoxy sticks to the pipe, then wrap it around the pipe to ensure that the epoxy is reinforced.
The epoxy will allow you to turn the water supply back on if your restoration service can’t get to your house until the next day or two. That way, you aren’t without water until they arrive. Be sure to check on the epoxy every so often to make sure it isn’t still leaking.
Take the Correct Steps to Fix a Leaking Pipe
Now that you’ve seen all the proper steps to take when fixing a leaking pipe, you must follow them to the “T”.
Be sure to turn the water supply off first, then contact your professional restoration service to get things fixed as quickly as they can.
Also, make sure to browse our website for more articles on water leaks, as well as many other helpful topics!
