Water leaks can cause a substantial amount of damage to your home’s structure and to your belongings, most of all, the dreaded slab leaks. Would you rather roll the dice and potentially have to deal with the expense and the headache of dealing with the damage from a leak, or would you rather avoid these problems altogether?
Obviously, it would be preferable if you could avoid these problems altogether. The good news is that you can keep most (if not all) of the damage caused by plumbing leaks out of your home by doing a little preventative maintenance. Here are some ideas on how to protect your Woodlands, TX home.
Avoid Corroded Pipes
One of the major threats to your plumbing’s integrity is corrosion. Unfortunately, when water high in certain minerals comes in contact with pipe materials, they rust, break and leak. You can do a great deal to slow this process.
Switch copper pipes to PVC, which is much more resistant to corrosion; install a water softener to keep your water’s PH balance level; don’t have your water temperature set too high.
When water is too hot it encourages pipe corrosion. Be sure to run water on a regular basis. When water stands, it could lead to corrosion too.
How to Detect Leaks
It’s smart to be proactive when trying to find leaks because that is your best bet to reducing the damage posed by leaks.
Look at all the visible pipes in your home, as well as floors, baseboards, and walls around appliances and plumbing fixtures for signs of moisture, pooling water, rust or mold growth.
These are all signs of leaks. Non-visible signs include rising water bills and low water pressure.
Water Pressure
If your water pressure runs too high, you are putting a lot of unnecessary pressure on your pipes, which will cause leaks.
Sure, you like to have a strong, hot shower before you head off to work, but is it really worth causing leaks?
Install a water pressure regulator to ensure that your pressure stays in the “safe zone”- from 45- 60 psi.
Drain Cleaner Danger
It can be problematic to choose commercial drain cleaners as your method of choice to remove clogs.
While it may work in a pinch, you are literally pouring acid that will eat through your pipes down your drain.
What’s more is that these cleaners might damage your counters and plumbing fixtures too. You are better off to call your plumber for help instead.
Even a pin-hole leak can cause damage. Don’t blow leaks off because you feel that they are too small.
