DRIPS-LEAKS

Drips and Leaks

Just as you are drifting off to sleep, plink. What? Did you hear anything? And so, you lie back and wait, listening for...what may be or was it your imagine a...plink. Nope. No imagination. One of the problems with hearing drips in the middle of the night, is that they are difficult to place and they never disappear on their own. And until you get it fixed you will hear dripping noises even when there is none.

Your job when it is not the middle of the night and you have time is to:

leaking_faucet
  • Turn faucets on and off in the bathroom, as well as flushing the toilet, and checking around the showerhead.
  • Look for dampness outside the dishwasher, run the faucets in the sink, and check under the sink for wet or dampness on the pipes.
  • In the basement look for puddles or damp areas and make sure the pipes or hoses are all connected and free of moisture.

Depending on where you find a leak, you can feel confident fixing it yourself with your tool chest of plumbing tools. (see Plumbing Tools for information) If it is a washer that needs replacing, or a bolt that needs tightening, you have the tools to do it. This is very true if the leak in question is a faucet or showerhead. As with making any plumbing repair, remember to always:

leaky_faucet
  • Do the repair on a weekday because if anything goes wrong, emergency plumbing services are pricey.
  • Turn off the water.
  • Make sure to have a bucket or towels to mop up water. There will always be more water than anticipated.

Other times, as when leaks or drips occur behind a wall, in a ceiling or attic space, getting to the precise location of the drip can be not only time consuming, but difficult to repair. Calling the professionals at Jersey Plumbing can save you time and aggravation; they have the skills, expertise, and tools to fix the problem correctly. Remember it is not just walls, but electrical lines and outlets, interior pipes, and support beams to consider. Let the professionals do what they do best, so you and your family can sleep through the night without concerning dripping noises.

Plumbing Tips - 09/01/2020
1 plumbing noise

One Plumbing Noise You Should Be More Worried About than You Are

Small Plumbing Problems usually start out as small noises. We all hear them, but it’s easy to ignore them. It’s not a problem YET, we tell ourselves. But they are, and they’re problems that can be solved much more affordably sooner than later.

The Not-So-Harmless Drip

A dripping faucet is easily fixable, but, quite often, homeowners ignore the sounds of dripping in their house, assuming it’s an easily fixed faucet – when in reality, it’s a pipe headed for total failure in the walls.

If you hear a leak and cannot readily assign that leak to a fixture (which you should also fix immediately) then you will want to examine the walls where you are hearing the drip.

If you catch a leak while it’s still small, you may not notice any changes in water pressure, but any changes in water pressure should be noted and addressed as well.

You may notice that a wall has become spongy and wet to the touch. If you shine a flashlight across your wall, you might see a section that is more reflective than the rest. This is a possible indicator of moisture. If you notice these things, get an experienced plumber out as soon as possible.

If you can hear a drip upstairs, check the rooms below as well. You will want to feel the walls with your hand. If there is plumbing on the floor above you, you will want to check the ceilings. If you notice a wet ceiling where there is no plumbing, you’re probably dealing with a roof leak. Those don’t get any cheaper the longer you wait either. You’ll want to inspect those immediately.

Your family may give you a funny look as you run around the house with a flashlight, feeling up walls and ceilings, trying to chase down the sound of a drip. But it’s much better than the look they’ll give you when next year’s Christmas budget is blown because you didn’t locate and repair a leak in time to prevent thousands of dollars of damage inside your walls.

Plumbing Tips - 11/15/2018
replace old plumbing

Is it Time for Your Old Plumbing to be Replaced?

As the old saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

The age of your pipes is a factor in their eventual failing, but performance is everything. Each home has a different water supply. A home with more acidic water may wear out your pipes much faster than a home fed by a clean natural spring nearby.

Signs Your Pipes are Failing:

·         Your water has an odor

Your water supply should never smell. Most of the time, any odor coming from your pipes is indicative of bacteria growth. When pipes begin to scale, bacteria can start to gather and fester. This is a good sign a section of your plumbing may need to be replaced. A less common cause of odor is methane in the water supply. Methane is flammable and is not a welcome guest in any pipe system. Lastly is chlorine. If you smell chlorine, it’s not a sign that your pipes are failing, but it may be a motivating factor for improving your water conditioning system. Chlorine is actually recommended by the EPA to prevent the spread of bacteria and disease, but too much of is generally unpleasant.

o   If your water has an odor, you should have your water tested by a plumber. Contact Jersey Plumbing services today for a quick and easy water test. (908) 281-7101

·         Cloudy or colored water

Dark water is an indication of corrosion in your pipes. As your pipes rust, the particles will be swept into the water supply, resulting in tinted water. Pipes with corrosion problems are more likely to clog, which can result in a burst pipe.

Cloudy water is almost always a result of air bubbles, which is not a problem. Occasionally, cloudy water is from mineral or sediment deposits. Water with a lot of sediment is more prone to clogging your pipes. In rare cases, cloudy water can be a sign of methane gas, which may or may not have an odor.

o   If your water is discolored, you should have your water tested by a plumber. Contact Jersey Plumbing services today for a quick and easy water test. (908) 281-7101

·         Water Stains or a Musty Smell

When your pipes start to leak behind the walls or in the ceilings, it may not become apparent until there are brown water stains on your walls/ceilings or a musty smell in any room of the house. When something smells “musty” what you actually smell are the waste products of mold. (Essentially, you smell mold farts.) Mold grows only in moist areas, so if you smell their byproduct, or see signs of mold on your walls/ceilings/floors, there’s a good chance you have a leak somewhere.

o   If your notice any of these, you will want to get a plumber immediately. Water damage gets more expensive to repair for every minute that it’s left to sit and seep into your home. Contact Jersey Plumbing Service at (908) 281-7101

 

 

Call Today!(908) 281-7101

Would you like to have your pipes professionally assessed? Contact Jersey Plumbing Service Today!

Tap to Call
Plumbing Tips - 01/09/2018

Recent Comments

    Tap to Call (908) 281-7101

    Jersey Plumbing Service
    PO Box 7371
    Hillsborough, NJ 08844
    Click to Email Us
    Fax: 1-908-647-1517

    NJ Masters Plumbers License #7359

    Copyright © 2018 All Rights Reserved
    Site Designed & Managed by Lattice Marketing