You may have a hidden leak in your home’s plumbing system if you find yourself shocked by an unusually high water bill. Many homeowners expect to find occasional leaks in common locations like faucets, toilets, and showers. However, water leaks can occur in unusual places that aren’t typically visible. Many homeowners don’t notice these leaks until they receive their water bill or spot water damage. If you suspect you have a hidden leak, a plumber can check in and around your home to diagnose the issue.
Unusual Places for Leaks Inside Your Home
Plumbing leaks can cause extensive damage to your home if left unaddressed. While many people quickly spot leaks under sinks and around toilets, other locations in your home can be a source of water leaks. Our professional plumbers can locate and repair leaks in these areas.
Your Refrigerator’s Water Line
Refrigerators often include water dispensers and ice makers in their design. Although these features provide easy access to fresh water and ice, they can also be a source of water leaks.
For the water dispenser and ice maker to function, your fridge needs a connection to the water supply. Over time, these lines are prone to leaks, particularly at connection points. Water lines can develop leaks due to wear and tear. If water inside the line freezes and thaws, the ice can damage the water line and cause a leak. Homeowners may miss this leak because they think it’s spilled water.
Your Dishwasher’s Supply Line
If you notice sagging and warped floors or cabinets in your kitchen, the source may be your dishwasher. A dishwasher has a supply line that carries water to the appliance for washing dishes. These supply lines see a lot of use and may degrade over time from wear and tear. If your dishwasher’s supply line becomes loose at the connection point, it may lead to a leak behind your dishwasher. Your dishwasher’s location makes this type of leak difficult to notice. Your floor or cabinets may absorb the water before you notice an issue. Our plumbers at Hope Plumbing can inspect your dishwasher supply line and tighten any loose connections. We also diagnose and repair cracked supply lines.
Your Heating and Cooling System
Your home’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system, or HVAC, has many components that can leak with use and age. These are a few of the parts in your HVAC system that can leak:
- Condensate drain lines
- Evaporator coils
- Refrigerant lines
- Drain pans
Your HVAC’s condensate drain line carries excess moisture away from the unit to a drain. Over time, this line can become damaged or clogged. You may notice moisture on the floor around this line. If you have an older HVAC system, wear and tear from frequent use can lead to leaks. Many Indianapolis homes have an HVAC unit in a basement or utility closet. These areas of the home typically see less use, so it’s easy to miss the signs of a leak. Unfortunately, these leaks can lead to serious problems like water damage, HVAC breakdowns, and poor indoor air quality.
Your Washing Machine
Your washing machine sees a lot of use. As the machine ages, the hoses that supply water to this appliance can develop leaks. During the wash cycle, the machine’s hoses experience a high amount of pressure as water flows into and out of the washer. Over time, the pressure can cause cracks in the hose. Sometimes, older washing machines can develop leaks around the door seal. Many people place their home’s washing machine in basements, laundry rooms, or closets where it’s easy to miss a leak.
Unusual Places for Leaks Around Your Home’s Exterior
The exterior of your home has several locations where it’s easy to miss a water leak.
Your Outdoor Faucets and Sprinklers
From hot and humid summers to frigid winters, Indiana’s climate exposes your outdoor faucets and sprinklers to extreme weather every year. When temperatures drop to single digits, the water in your pipes and outdoor faucets can freeze. When the temperatures rise above freezing, the ice thaws. This freeze-cycle can cause bursts or leaking pipes. Over time, rust and corrosion on outdoor fixtures can also lead to leaks. Homeowners often miss these leaks because of their faucets and sprinklers’ locations. Many homes have outdoor faucets or sprinklers located near or at ground level on the side of the home. Shrubs and other landscaping features often block these fixtures. Most homeowners won’t see the leak until they turn on the faucet or sprinkler.
Your Main Sewer Line
Sewer lines take wastewater from your home’s showers, toilets, and appliances to our city sewer system. Since this sewer line runs underground, it is vulnerable to tree roots and shifting soil. If you have trees near your sewer line, the roots can wrap around or breach the sewer line. The soil around the sewer line can shift or erode, which places pressure on the line. Eventually, the line may crack or burst.
A clogged sewer line can also cause a hidden water leak. Paper towels, flushable wipes, and even toys can create a clog in the main sewer line. As water attempts to flow through the sewer line, the pressure builds around the clog. Eventually, the pressure can cause the sewer line to crack and leak.
Since the sewer line is underground, most homeowners will miss the early warning signs of a sewer line leak. One warning sign is standing water or mud in your yard. If you notice a muddy area or puddle in your yard that never dries, that’s a sign you have a water leak. You may also smell sewer gas and other foul odors around your sinks, toilets, and showers. Water drainage may slow down considerably. Sewage may back up into your home. A leaking sewer line presents a health and environmental hazard. Sewage and wastewater can contaminate the groundwater or soil, which can have a long-term impact on the environment.
How to Prevent Hidden Water Leaks
You can prevent or minimize hidden water leaks by scheduling regular inspections with our experienced plumbers at Hope Plumbing. A plumber can inspect water supply lines, sewer lines, and fixtures to identify vulnerable areas. Regular inspections can catch loose faucet handles, leaking toilets, and poor water pressure before many homeowners realize there is a problem. When you address these issues early, you may be able to prevent more expensive repairs later. You may prevent structural damage to your Indianapolis home as well.
Your Indianapolis Leak Detection Experts
If you need an experienced plumber, you need a team of local experts committed to serving the whole community. At Hope Plumbing, we have been serving the Indianapolis area for many years. We take pride in providing the best plumbing services to our customers. As a full-service plumbing company, we can handle the most complex problems. We use the latest technology to diagnose and repair water leaks. Our drain cleaning services can address all types of clogs and buildup that affect your water pressure.
Customers also rely on us for water heater and water softener installation. We also install and repair gas lines. Our plumbers have the expertise to handle the special plumbing needs of older homes. Older homes can present different plumbing challenges. We can repair and address your plumbing system while preserving the beauty of your unique property. No matter what you need, you can count on our experienced team to handle your plumbing needs.
Contact our experienced plumbers at Hope Plumbing in Indianapolis to learn more about our leak detection and repair services!
