When a home is newly built, provided the plumbing was installed correctly, everything should be watertight, and you should not have any leaks anywhere. However, over time, things wear out, fittings loosen, seals degrade, and the result is that you might develop a leak somewhere.

Nearly any part of your plumbing system can leak, so it can be tricky to find the root of the problem. Here are a few tips you can use to try to identify where your leak is.

How to detect a water leak in your home

Sometimes, it’s easy to find a leak. You look under the sink and there’s a wet patch, or you notice a water stain on the ceiling. But sometimes, water leaks are harder to spot. Here are a few signs and symptoms to look out for.

Check water meter

The first thing that will tell you if you have a leak (although it won’t help you to find it) is that your water meter will register a change with all the water in your home shut off. If you shut the water off at the mains and you still see the meter going up, you definitely have a leak.

Outdoor/underground leak symptoms

If you have an underground leak, you might notice signs like grass that is greener in that area, or soft, spongy areas in your yard.

If the leak is under paving or concrete, you might notice the soil being washed away under the surface, which could lead to cracking or other signs of damage.

Interior leak symptoms

There are several things that could show you that you have a plumbing leak inside your home, including mould and mildew, wet spots where there shouldn’t be water, ceiling stains, bubbling paint or water damage to cabinets and woodwork. These are signs of how you know there’s a leak, so attending to it as soon as possible is imperative because there could be no way to save some of those things. An example would be your carpet; if it gets wet by a leak from the toilet, that’s category two water damage, and by regulation, replacing your carpet is a must.   

When it’s time to call a plumber

In some cases, you can fix a leak in your home yourself. Sometimes it’s as simple as replacing some thread tape or adding a new seal. However, if you can’t find the leak, or it’s in a place you can’t reach or don’t know how to fix, it’s best to call a professional. A reliable and experienced plumber will accomplish the job in no time and even give a warranty on their service. A licensed plumber often offers a warranty of up to a year to come back and fix any issues, while some would offer parts replacement. This is essential so no further damage can occur to your beautiful home. 

How a plumber can detect leaks

A plumber will start looking for a leak the same way you do – by walking around your home, looking for signs of moisture where there shouldn’t be any. 

If the suspected leak is in a wall or otherwise hard to reach, your plumber could use special sound equipment to listen for the source of the problem. There are also special flexible cameras that can be used in certain cases, particularly when you’re dealing with large pipes, and often when they are underground.

When In Doubt, Call a Professional

Many plumbing leaks in the home are simple to fix, but if there is any doubt, you should always call a plumber to fix your plumbing leaks. If you get this wrong, you can cause a lot more problems than you solve. 

Some leaks are complicated and require sophisticated equipment to detect and fix. If the issue happens at a portion of the home that’s difficult to reach and could be pretty aged already, a licensed plumber may use a cured-in-place pipe to eliminate the excavation and damage to your home. If you're the owner of a high-rise property, rope accessed waterproofing for a roof leak is going to be a vital service and will require you to contact professional repairers; not a traditional plumber. 

Whatever the scope of the leak in your home, it’s something you need to fix at once because more than affecting your family’s comfort, any leak is a waste of resources. Thus, many people are affected by water shortage.