Small Water Leak Turns Into Plumbing Nightmare

Small Water Leak Turns Into Plumbing Nightmare

This isn't a story about a family that had a small water leak and they called the plumber to fix it, the next day. This story is about a family who had a small water leak and chose not to fix it for 15 years. Hard to imagine, but things like this happen every day.

The small water leak that I am talking about wasn't something that every homeowner would even notice. The water was leaking behind the bathtub fixture valve, only when someone was taking a shower. This type of water leak isn't something that most people even know about, but destroys hundreds if not thousands of homes each year.

Since they didn't notice any of the damage, why would it be a concern? I understand their way of thinking, even though it gets thousands of homeowners in trouble in each year. If you don't know about water damage, why would it even concern you? That makes a lot of sense to me and everyone else that I know.

The next part of this story is going to be hard to believe and if I was you, I wouldn't believe it either. It was about 11 o'clock in the evening when the husband was taking a shower and the entire bathtub collapsed that he was standing in. The water damage had rotted out the wood subfloor that the bathtub was sitting on and eventually collapsed, along with the bathtub and the man standing inside of it.

When the bathtub collapsed, the man taking a shower reached for the only thing that he could grab onto, which was the bathtub water supply valve and it broke also. Water was going everywhere and they weren't prepared for this type of home emergency.

There weren't any computers in the home or telephone books. As a matter of fact, only one person in the house had a cellular phone and the only car at the residence. Since their closest neighbor was more than 1 miles away, they chose to just let the water run, because no one in the house knew how to shut the water off.

They finally got a hold of a plumber, but the damage was unbelievable. If you don't want something like this to happen to you, I suggest that you create an emergency home contractors list and make sure that someone has a phone that works in the house.



By Greg Vandenberge
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3396356

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Master Plumber Shares Water Leak Secrets With Everyone

Water Leak

I wouldn't consider myself to be a master plumber, but I'm going to share with you, some of the information that I've learned from a few master plumbers over the years. These guys are the true pros of the industry and rarely share any of their secrets with anyone, but I got them to tell me some of their trade secrets with me.

I'm not going to tell you how I got these secrets from them, but it did involve some alcohol and a couple of sandwiches. Very few master tradesmen share their secrets with anyone that they don't trust or respect. Working in the construction industry for over three decades has gained me the respect from more than one master plumber.

Okay here's the secret that you've all been waiting for," Hand tighten everything." Now wait a minute, that's it, isn't there anything else. That's the master plumbing secret that we've been waiting for, to hands tightened everything, come on there's got to be more.

Well there is more, but that's going to be in another article, somewhere else in the future. If you're serious about eliminating water leaks from your plumbing drains and water supply lines, you should hand tighten everything and then check for leaks.

I can't tell you how many times I grabbed a pair of channel locks or a pipe wrench to tighten a sink drain or toilet supply line, only to find out that I had applied too much pressure and now water is leaking all over the place.

Master plumbers and other master tradesmen rarely share secrets, but this one is easy to grasp. The value of this secret is priceless. The next time that you have a water leak or are assembling any plumbing products, don't over tighten any plumbing parts and it won't be long, before you are the master plumber in your house.


By Greg Vandenberge
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3622760

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Your Healthy Home tips: Water Leak Detectors

Even brand new homes can develop a water leak. One new home that we finished up last year is an example - the homeowner decided to run the water pressure up another 10 PSI. This resulted in several leaks from faucet pipes under sinks - the plumbing contractor had not tightened these completely and it didn't show up until the higher pressure was applied. When inspecting new construction, I take considerable time to really test all of the fixtures for this reason.

Is there anything you can do proactively, besides regular inspections, to stave off a day when water gets out of piping and damages something in your home? You would think that in our day and age of modern devices and electronics that someone would think of this. Well they have - and in a variety of forms.

These alarm devices come in two varieties. One is a passive system that sits on the floor near the fixture, such as behind your toilet or under the refrigerator, and sets off an alarm if it senses moisture. These are inexpensive and easy to install. They can be battery operated for simplicity. The problem with these is that they depend upon someone hearing the alarm and turning the water off. What if you are not home?

A better system, but more expensive, is the active detection system. This device will detect a leak AND actually shut off the water flow to the appliance. This system needs to be installed by a professional, since it involves putting a valve in-line with the appliance. Better still is a whole house active leak and shutoff system. This works by having either a wired or wireless sensor at every appliance, communicating with a central brain connected to a water shutoff valve for your entire home. This is installed much like a home security system, with a connection to an alarm system if you have one.

These systems can get very sophisticated and there are numerous products to choose from. You should consult a qualified plumber for more information if you decide to install these products; some home alarm installers also provide these systems.

Researching and choosing a water leak detection system for your home can prevent the day when a disastrous water leak causes expensive damage in your home and emotional trauma for you and your family.

Lisa is a certified home inspector and licensed general contractor. Her recent start-up, Your Inspection Expert, Inc., inspects homes for home buyers, sellers, owners, mortgage companies, and banks.



By Lisa P. Turner
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5739595

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