Here are tips for preventing leaking pipes in your home.
For homeowners, it can often feel like the next big problem is right around the corner. You’re just biding your time, waiting for something to break and go wrong, which means another costly expense you have to worry about. Perhaps one of the most dreaded issues of them all is a leaking pipe, which isn’t just annoying but can cause water damage that is expensive and difficult to fix.
Here’s the good news: there are several proactive steps one can take to prevent leaks before they ever happen. They’re easy, too, and especially easy when compared to the struggle that is fixing an already-leaking pipe. Read on to see how.
Check Your Pressure
The first step for any pipe-related problems: check your pressure! To prevent leaks, look for something under 60 PSI, which should still give you good, usable water pressure without causing any water hammers (which in turn lead to leaks). The Goldilocks zone is between 30-50 PSI. Anything higher might mean that it’s time to contact a local professional plumber to take a look at your plumbing system as a whole and fix any pressure issues.
Tighten Any Pipe Fittings
This is a simple one, but even simple steps can go a long way in helping protect your home’s plumbing. Just tighten up your fittings. Look at areas like the pipes near your kitchen sink or in your bathroom. If you feel any moisture, that’s a sign that you should tighten up those fittings and prevent more water from getting through. You don’t want them to continue getting looser, which might lead to a much more substantial leak.
Seal Up Joints
Sometimes people misdiagnose leaking pipes, and that’s often the case with joints that aren’t properly sealed. Instead of waiting to see if joints are leaking, take the time to inspect them now instead. It does take some work, however, as you need to tighten the joint and the gasket. This involves removing the fitting, applying plumber’s tape on the interior threads, and then using plumber’s grease to tighten the compression nut. If that sounds like too much, it’s a good reason to bring in a pro.
Use a Water Softener
This last solution doesn’t even technically involve your pipes. Installing a water softener may not seem like it could solve leaky pipes, but it’s common for leaking pipes to be caused by hard water. Hard water just means that there is enough mineral content in your water that it may corrode your pipes. Water softeners help address that by removing extreme minerals, giving your pipes a little bit of peace of mind and corrosion resistance.
For Leaking Pipe Repair Services, Call Master Plumbing
Give Master Plumbing a call at (301) 650-9100, or contact us online to get more information on how our expert plumbers can help you with just about anything plumbing-related! We have received Angie’s List Super Service Award recognition for plumbing and drain cleaning every year since 2007, in addition to the Best Plumber award from Best of Bethesda. We are fully licensed, bonded, and insured, and our service is unparalleled. Give us a call today—you won’t regret it! To see examples of our projects, follow us on Facebook and Twitter!