Irvine’s high humidity levels of around 86% often trigger pipe rusting and leaks. It’s important to know that most leaks are silent and unnoticed by homeowners or occupants of a property. Even though they seem silent and often minor, they can be widespread throughout your Irvine home.
You’d still want to take care of this issue immediately before severe water damage happens. An experienced Irvine, CA plumber can come to your rescue if your pipes are leaking.
Leakage Statistics:
Leaks cost US residents around $2.5 billion every year, with an average of $2,000 per household in water damage repairs and increases in those bills as high as $10,000. Some leaks might seem like no big deal. However, they could cause significant problems like mold and mildew infestations.
What to Do If You Spot a Leak
If you spot any signs of leakage around your home, such as bubbling paint or staining on ceilings, read on:
Pipe Insulations
Pipe insulation is an easy way to prevent leakage in your Irvine home. Insulating pipes can not only help with preventing future leaks, but it will also help you save money on heating and cooling costs during the winter months (heating) or summer months (cooling).
Check Your Water Heater
Water heater malfunctions are one of the biggest causes of plumbing leaks. If there is any indication that you have a water heater leak, such as rust-colored stains around the tank, this will need to be fixed right away.
Leaving the issue unattended could cause the damage to spread further through your appliances and flooring. The average cost of water heater replacement in Irvine, CA, is around $1000.
Significant water heater problems could cost you up to $100’s additional dollars if left untreated. Use Teflon tape when tightening all connections on your water heater.
Make Sure Your Water Meter is in Good Working Order
Homeowners may not notice meter malfunctions as soon as they occur. Meter issues can result in a high bill even though no additional water has been used inside the home.
If you ever hear any strange sounds coming from your meter box, there might be some leakage or damage occurring that needs attention immediately.
Identify Signs of Moisture
Check for signs of moisture on walls and under exterior doors. The signs could mean trouble for you and your Irvine home. Exterior doors need to have thresholds installed underneath them to prevent any leakage from entering the wall structure behind them.
Moisture buildup around exterior door frames is also another area where rot will start to occur. Hence, you must caulk this area to stop any future leaks.
Check Your Dishwasher
Some dishwashers aren’t equipped with a water diverter kit. The dishwasher hose will need to be rerouted to divert straight down the floor drain before emptying the dirty water.
Treat Kitchen Sink Leaks
Leaks under kitchen sinks happen all too often and can lead to some severe damages if left untreated for too long. Make sure your shutoff valves are always in good working order.
Never allow standing water or moisture buildup inside your home when using them because this could cause the rotting of wood materials on the cabinets and baseboard over time.
Install P-Traps
You can also prevent leakage by installing freeze-resistant P-traps underneath all kitchen and bathroom sinks. The traps will ensure that water won’t leak out if the temperature drops too low outside, which could cause severe damage.
Fix Toilet Leaks
Toilet leaks happen pretty often. You can quickly fix this problem by calling an Irvine, CA, plumber. If you see any moisture at the base of your toilet or around the flooring around it, tighten shutoff valves to stop any future leakage problems.
If this doesn’t work, then it’s time to replace the wax ring underneath the toilet because it has probably worn away over time due to multiple leaks occurring here, making it no longer able to create a tight seal underneath your toilet.
Look For Structural Damages
When water comes into contact with foundation walls, whether from rainfall or any other source, this can quickly lead to significant damage due to moisture creeping through the house.
Your foundation will need to be covered by barrier materials resistant to water penetration to stop leakage before it becomes an even bigger problem for you.
Don’t Ignore Seepage Around Windows
If you see signs of seepage (i.e., peeling paint and wet spots along with wall bases) around windows and doors, that could also indicate problems.
Wrapping Up
You’ll need to caulk where the exterior and interior meet because this is one of the most vulnerable areas for leaking in Irvine homes. These leaks may not be visible until it’s already too late.
