Plumbing may seem like a dull subject, but water leaks are far from mundane. Not only can it cost you money, but it can also wreak havoc in your home, damaging walls, floors, and even its very foundation. Leaks can also result in contaminated drinking water and be harmful to health.
Water leak detection is an important habit to cultivate for homeowners. Here are 6 big reasons why you should take water leaks in your home seriously right now!
1. Costly Water Bills
Water leaks bleed money as waste adds up over time. What starts as a small leak, can slowly but assuredly turn into a much bigger problem not to mention drain your bank account with the additional cost in your water bill. Imagine paying an extra $20 each month in utilities, over the course of a year that’s $240 just in the additional water charges alone, not to mention wall repair, damage caused to appliances or even your foundation.
It costs less to hire a plumber to fix a leak than it does to leave it alone and have it show up in your future water bills. We’ve all heard about the water crisis that we are facing, where homes are often put on water restrictions to conserve the amount needed for things like watering a yard, but those efforts don’t address the water being used in your home all the time and a small leak in a faucet can be costing you more than water your lawn if it gets bad enough.
The truth is a leak left unfixed can cost you thousands of dollars over time. The effects of water leaks are often cumulative, which means they get bigger and bigger the longer they’re left alone, so while it may not always seem like a priority, there is definitely an advantage to fixing the problem sooner rather than later. The last thing any homeowner wants is a water leak because it frustratingly causes a high water bill!
2. Water Safety
Thousands of people get sick every year from drinking contaminated water, even those living in places with strict water restrictions and cleaning efforts your water supply could become toxic if you are not addressing leaks. When a leak occurs it’s possible for contaminants to get into the water in your home, so water leak detection helps ensure the safety of those who may be drinking or bathing in the water.
Leaks from sewerage pipes can contaminate the entire property, and even surrounding homes, leaving you holding the bill for expensive repairs to neighbors. Professional water leak detection helps you not inadvertently harm your community and environment due to negligence.
3. Interior and Exterior Damage
Leaks can do more than just waste water and cost money. As leaks get bigger and more water is seeped out, it can cause damage to surrounding structures.
While a small leak may not look that bad, it can get worse later on. A leak inside the home, like behind a wall or in the floor, can deteriorate the structure of the wall and lead to the need for a full replacement. That costs extra money, time, and labor you don’t need to spend if you had addressed leaks prior to their expansion.
Meanwhile, a leak outside the home can damage the rest of the neighborhood. If it’s near someone’s home, it can damage its foundation over time. Early water leak detection ensures your home stands and maintains its value for a very long time.
4. Damage to Other Property
As explained in the previous item, leaks can cause damage to structures. This doesn’t just hold true to only your own home, but also other people’s property.
Negligence on your part can result in taking responsibility for the financial liability for any property damage or loss. Also, it’s a good thing to care about your neighborhood as you do with your own home, so water leak detection can make you a responsible member of the community.
It can also attract things that can cause damage. Wood made wet by water leaks can attract termites and harbor fungus that can eat it away and make it lose its structural integrity. Over time, your house may actually collapse because of it.
Also, leaks from sewerage pipes can cause damage to the environment. Taking care of that can also make you look better in the eyes of Mother Nature.
5. Cost of Procrastination
As mentioned before, small leaks can easily become big leaks later. Problems are more manageable when detected early on. When a small leak becomes a big leak, it’ll cost more to fix. Early water leak detection is important.
Well, just think of it this way. You may be apprehensive about hiring a plumber and having to give up a good bit of cash for it. However, hiring professionals to deal with the problem costs much less in the long run compared to the damage incurred over time due to sitting on your own hands and doing nothing.
You don’t want to end up tearing your hair out as a result of your indecision. Get leak detection done in your property right now.
6. Having a Reliable Water Supply
Leaks can cause water supply in your neighborhood to either fluctuate unpredictably or be contaminated. It’s not just about having enough drinking water to go around, as most would think at first. It also concerns businesses and industries in the area, as well as emergency services like the fire department.
If you care about your community, you should do your part and be responsible for water leak detection in your property. You should also help out your neighbors in theirs if they ever need it. Together, we can be sure with having a reliable water supply for the neighborhood.
Conclusion
A water leak is not a small enough problem to ignore, no matter how small. Water leak detection is much like getting a checkup from the doctor. You can do regular checks on your own, but you’ll need to call in a professional once you detect a more severe problem.
There are also many other reasons why water leak detection is important, like being able to maximize the use of the water supply, making sure you’re not caught unprepared for emergency situations, and so on.
Guest Blogger: Michael Espina
ADI Leak Detection
Michael Espina is a dad of 3 young kids. Currently, he is working at ADI Leak Detection as an Outreach Manager.
Staff Writer
Amanda Causey
