During your usual maintenance routine, you stumble upon patches of wetness in your home. Perhaps you were doing some cleaning when suddenly you noticed that the ceiling in a bedroom was damp. Or, you spotted signs of water damage on the walls in your hallway. Both instances suggest that some type of water leak has occurred – but where has it come from?
Leaks in the home can be prevalent, and they can also be very expensive. You see, some water leaks may waste a lot of water, ramping up your monthly water bill. Furthermore, there are the costs of any water damage and repairs to take into account as well. Finding the source of the leak is essential if you want to fix it and prevent it from happening again.
3 Sources of Leaks in Your Home
Multiple scenarios can arise where leaks are present in your home, but here are the three most common sources:
#1 – HVAC leakage
Do you have an HVAC system in your home? Or, do you have an air conditioning unit on its own? If the answer to either question is yes, this could be the source of your water leaks. What tends to happen is there’s an issue with the condensate drain pan, which is in place to catch condensation generated by the AC unit. When there’s a problem here, it means that the condensation can leak out around the unit, causing puddles and water damage. So, be sure you check around the AC unit to see if there are telltale signs of leaks. If there are, book yours in for servicing to understand the issue and fix it.
#2 – Roof leaks
Another highly common cause of leaks comes from holes in your roof. There’s an easy way to tell if this is your issue, and it’s if you only experience water leaks when it rains. If you go through a week of dry weather and see no problems, only to witness leaks after a day of rain, it tells you that your roof must be at fault. Another way to check is to head up to your attic and see if there are signs of leaks there. You could be able to spot holes or cracks in your roof during the daylight hours, or you can see stains on the floor from where water has leaked through. If the rooms below your attic have water stains on the ceiling, that could also be another indicator.
#3 – Pipe problems
Lastly, you can experience water leaks at home because of issues with your pipes. A leaky pipe is expensive as this is where you waste a lot of water. Look under your sinks to see if there are clear signs of leaks, and it could all be down to a loose pipe fixture that needs to be tightened. However, if you see water damage on your walls, it may be due to leaky or burst pipes within the internal plumbing system. In these cases, you’ll need to call the professionals to see to the task.
The Takeaway: Stop Water Damage Before It Happens
The key is to catch your leaks as early as possible before they turn into expensive problems. Now you know the three main sources of water leaks, you can be more vigilant in checking these aspects of your property during your weekly maintenance routine!
Despite freelancing to make a living, her love is "all things home."
Deborah grew up in a family that grew a large vegetable garden and a fruit orchard, helping her parents pull weeds and can home-grown foods as part of her childhood. In fact, she had no idea that she could purchase veggies and fruits in pre-packed steel cans until she went to college and made a food run.
Today, she lives in Bertie County, North Carolina, an agricultural rural area with more chickens than people. She lives with her husband and a sweet toy fox terrier. Together, they enjoy DIY projects, furniture refinishing, gardening, and canning.
This blog celebrates all things home.
