Leaks are a common problem with water pipes in modern plumbing systems. The water pipes in your home can leak for several reasons. Most times, these leaks are due to minor faults that are easy to fix. However, you can only fix a water leak in your home if you see that one of your water pipes is damaged.
What about when the leaky pipe is hidden from view?
Hidden water leaks are among the worst plumbing problems in homes. Even when the damage is minor and only a few drops of water escape from the pipe per minute, it can still do huge damage to your home. Hidden water leaks are a leading cause of water damage in American homes.
A common location for hidden water leaks in the home is inside walls. That’s because to reach the plumbing fixtures in the house, water pipes have to traverse the walls and floors of your home. These hidden pipes can leak without your knowledge.
So, how do you know when a broken pipe is discharging water into the walls of your home? The good news is, even if there is no clear indication of the problem, leaks often leave a trail of clues you can follow to detect the damage.
5 major signs of a leaky pipe behind your wall
Some issues you will see in your home if there is a leaky pipe behind one of your walls include:
Wall damage
Hidden leaks inside a wall often don’t show up as trickles of water on the wall because wallpaper soaks up the water. But even if you don’t see water dripping down a wall or pooling at its base, you can still tell if there is a leak behind your wall. The problem may present itself in the form of wall damage. Depending on the size of the leak and how long it has been there, you will see one or all of the following problems on your wall:
- Staining and watermarks on the wall
- Peeling, bubbling or cracking paint
- Twisting, ripping or warped wallpaper
- Subtle changes in the texture of the wall
Mold and mold sickness
Hidden leaks behind walls provide the optimum conditions for mold growth inside your home: low sunlight, moisture, warm temperatures and organic materials for mold to feed on. If there is mold in your home, you may see black or green spots around an area. But it is possible to have mold in your home without seeing visible signs. In that case, you want to pay attention to musty odors in your home. Members of your family may also show signs of mold sickness. Symptoms of mold sickness include:
- Eye, nose and throat irritation
- Lung irritation
- Fatigue and nausea
- Skin rashes and headaches
- Worsening allergies
Pest infestation
Most homes have their fair share of unwanted residents in the form of pests. However, even though mice, rats and roaches can find their way into your home through the tiniest openings, they typically don’t become a major problem. But that can change if there is a water leak behind one of your walls. Water leaks create conditions that make your home particularly attractive to cockroaches. If there is an increase in the number of flies, roaches, rats and mice in your home, it is possible that they are being drawn to the building by a broken water pipe inside one of your walls.
Damaged flooring and warped baseboards
A broken pipe behind your wall can damage your flooring by leaking water into it. A common sign that this is happening is when your floor starts to feel spongy underneath your feet. You may also see signs of warping and buckling in the flooring. In addition to damaging floors, water leaks can cause baseboards to warp. Typically, if the baseboard is exposed to water, sections of it will start to discolor.
Spikes in your home’s water bill
A water leak will cause an increase in your home’s water bills, even if the pipe leaks at the rate of a few drops of water per minute. If there is a spike in how much you pay for water even when there is no change in your home’s water usage pattern, the reason could be a hidden leak behind your walls. It is easy to miss this sign if you don’t keep close tabs on your monthly utility spending, according to Vesta Electric company.
What should you do if these problems are present in your home?
Delay is dangerous when dealing with leaky pipes in your home. One unsolved leak can severely damage your building and impair its structural stability. At the same time, these problems do not lend themselves well to a DIY approach.
If you think you have a water leak behind one of your walls, the best thing to do is to contact a professional plumber and have them inspect the plumbing, to pinpoint the location of the leak and solve the problem completely.