If your main water line stops supplying water, your quality of life is going to suffer. Just think: your home’s access to clean drinking water is reduced or cut off entirely. Your ability to shower, wash the dishes or the clothes, clean, and cook are all going to be heavily hindered.
While it’s difficult to prevent these kinds of problems from happening, the next best thing you can do is have them fixed as soon as possible. That will ensure that no more money is needlessly spent on leaking water or on water damage.
If any of the following signs apply to your home plumbing system, you might want to call up a plumber in Plano, TX for a professional opinion.
Your Pipes Are Outdated
Until the 1970s, galvanized steel pipes were used in plumbing all over the nation. If your home is old and hasn’t been repiped, there’s a chance that you could still be using these pipes in your main water line. Here are a few ways that could become a problem:
- Discolored water: With age, the pipes will corrode and rust on the inside, thus affecting the color of your water.
- Lower Water Pressure: If the corrosion and rust are built up too much, it can lead to lower water pressure.
- Taste and Quality of Drinking Water: Galvanized steel pipes contain impurities like lead, which will make the water unhealthy and possibly taste metallic.
You’ve Seen a Spike In Your Water Bill
The most common way homeowners find out they have some kind of leak is at the end of the month, when they open up their water bill to find an increase by hundreds of dollars.
Leaks are unforgiving and will continue to run water for as long as water flows through them. One way to detect them is by listening for the sound of running water or a humming sound.
To be completely certain, and to avoid this costly side-effect of a main water line leak, you can try shutting off your water and checking the water meter. If the dial is still moving, it’s a good indication that you have a leak.
You Have Symptoms of a Slab Leak
Are there puddles of water forming in your home? We hate to be the ones to tell you this, but you could be looking at a slab leak. These are leaks that spring up below the foundation of your home, making them difficult to repair and disruptive to your quality of living. They can also cause substantial damage to your walls and flooring.
If there’s no sign of a leak inside the home, try looking outside. If the main water line has broken beneath the ground, the water will dampen the soil above it. The result will be a damp, soggy patch of your yard.
Slab leaks don’t always mean that you have a main water line problem. It could be a normal pipe that has burst or is leaking. Either way, because your main water line runs through the foundation of your home, it’s not impossible that a ruptured or leaking main water line could be the cause of your slab leak.
Contact Hutchins Plumbing & Air Conditioning to speak with an expert about your plumbing repair needs.
