One problem you may not want to think about when it comes to your home is a burst pipe. However, this issue can lead to a plethora of damages if not fixed in a timely fashion. Fortunately, we’re going to share the most common indicators that you likely have a burst pipe somewhere in your home. This is so you can be aware of when you might have a problem.
1. Rising Water Bills
When one of your pipes burst, it may not be obvious. This holds especially true when it’s hidden behind one of your walls. As the pipe continues to leak, it’s going to be using a lot more water than normal. This will lead to a stark increase in your water bill. Unfortunately, you’ll be left paying for both the repair service and the water bill.
2. Low Water Pressure
Another sign that could indicate you have a leak somewhere in your water line is a drop in water pressure. Depending on where the leak is, you may only experience a decrease in pressure with some of your fixtures and not others. This happens most often when the leak is between the main water supply line and the fixture that you’re trying to use.
3. Water Damage
Probably the most obvious sign that you have a burst pipe is leaking water. You may be able to see visible water coming out of the section of piping. Or, if the piping is hidden behind your walls, there are some other signs that you may take notice of. These include wet walls or ceilings as well as yellow water stains.
4. High Indoor Humidity
When humidity levels rise, it will start to feel overly stuffy as your body struggles to actively sweat and cool down. When excess moisture is introduced into your home via a leak in one of your pipes, it will cause the humidity level to rise. If you notice that your indoor humidity level seems much higher than normal and there’s been no change in the outdoor humidity, you likely have a leak somewhere in your plumbing system.
5. Cosmetic Damage
When drywall comes into contact with water, it can lead to some nasty cosmetic damage. This could show up in a variety of ways. One of the most common is bubbling paint and peeling wallpaper. The excess water will cause the paint and wallpaper to remove itself from the drywall. In other cases, you may notice that the drywall takes on a bulging or droopy look. This is simply the weight of the water in the drywall pulling it downward.
6. Mild and Mildew
When water ends up in a dark environment, it can start to develop mold and mildew. If you have a hidden pipe leak, a sign that you may notice is a musty smell of mold and mildew. In some cases, you may even start to notice mold or mildew growth on your walls or floor. Since mold spores can be quite damaging to your health, it’s important that you get to the root of the issue quickly.
7. Whistling or Dripping Noises
While you may be familiar with your pipes making noises of rushing water, any other unusual noises should be a cause for concern. In particular, a whistling noise coming from your pipes can indicate that there’s a leak somewhere in the line. Whistling is the result of water trying to force itself through that small leak. In other cases, you may hear a dripping sound, indicating that water is slowly exiting the pipe. With this particular symptom, you’ll be more capable of easily locating the leak in your plumbing system.
What to Do With a Burst Pipe
As soon as you notice that you have a burst pipe in your home, you’ll need to react quickly to prevent any further water damage. Start by shutting your water off at the main supply valve. If you have a drain in your line, then you’ll want to drain out your plumbing lines to prevent further water from being able to leak out.
Be sure to pull out your phone and take some pictures of the damage so that you have them for your insurance company. If water is pooling on the ground, be sure to clean it up as much as possible. You want to contact a plumbing professional right away so that they can repair the issue, and you can get back to using your water.
It’s always highly advisable to speak to your insurance company about what you’re covered for regarding a plumbing leak. For particularly bad plumbing leaks, you may need to call a water damage specialist to perform remediation services. This service will help to protect your home from developing unwanted mold growth that can be hazardous to your health.
Top Causes of Burst Pipes
One of the most well-known reasons for a burst pipe is due to freezing. Whenever temperatures dip down below freezing, the inside of your piping is susceptible to being frozen. As water turns into ice, it will expand in size. This expansion can push your pipe past its limits and cause it to burst.
Over the years, there have been many different types of piping material used for homes. Some of these metal pipes can be susceptible to corrosion over time. Corrosion is most likely to occur at joints. As your pipe starts to rust from the inside out, it will eventually end up eating through the pipe to create a hole.
Another reason your pipe may burst is simply due to physical damage. If you accidentally slam something into an exposed piping line, you can create a dent or crack in the line. Even hanging items like laundry off of exposed piping can eventually cause too much stress on the pipe and lead to unwanted denting and cracking.
Prevention Tactics
If you’ve ever gone through the headache of having a burst pipe, then you want to do everything possible to avoid having that problem again. One of the best things you can do is ensure that all your piping is properly insulated. This insulation provides an extra barrier to resist any freezing temperatures that may come into contact with the pipe.
If you live in a fairly older home, you should have your plumbing system inspected by a professional. They will be able to alert you of any potential problems, such as pipe corrosion. When you know about these issues before they create leaks, you can have them fixed to prevent leak from happening.
If you have exposed piping in areas of your home, you want to do your best to avoid coming into contact with them. This means not hanging any sort of items from the piping. You may even want to create a protective barrier that is usually removable in the event that you need to service the pipe.
Reliable Plumbing Service
Bryant Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electric offers reliable plumbing service to the entire Louisville, KY community. Our highly skilled team can also help with all your heating, cooling, electrical, ductless mini-split, ductwork, and indoor air quality needs. Simply call us today to schedule your next service appointment.
