Can you imagine, you have guests coming over and you are cooking delicious food for them. Once you are done, you started cleaning the counter and washed extra dishes. And you suddenly notice that the water didn’t drain after you are done with dishes, and now your sink looks like a dirty pool; gross. Isn’t it stressful and annoying? You have to get ready for the guests, but you need to get this water drained first.
It was just a scenario that can happen in any house at any time but it is equally frustrating each time it happens. Having damaged plumbing fixtures in your home can make you feel stressed all the time until it’s sorted. It is very important to look out for the signs that show your pipes are about to burst. Trust, it can be a lot more frustrating and cost you a bunch if you keep ignoring little plumbing issues in your house.
That is one thing, another thing that can cause panic is a drain leak. There might be different reasons for that. And it is normal. Drainage system installation is mandatory, and it can cause problems at any time. But, how your drainage system is installed and what products were used, makes it a lot different. If your plumber was wise and honest enough to work sincerely with your drainage installation, then you will not be facing any plumbing problems anytime soon. But, if the drain installation wasn’t done carefully and the material used wasn’t good, then it’s going to be hell for you, my friend. Because the water supply cannot be stopped. Using water for almost every task is unavoidable at home. You know, with COVID, only washing hands requires a lot of water supply. And once you have clogged fixtures or a drain leak; both will disturb your routine equally and needs to be sorted immediately.
How Do Yu Know That Your Drain Pipe Is Leaking?
Having a drain leak in your house is common, but it is not affordable. At first, you might want to live with that, because you are too lazy to call a plumber. But you are going to regret it later. Problems like these, which seem minor at first, can make up a huge mess for you to clean if you don’t fix them in the early stage. Sometimes, we don’t even notice the drain leak, or we simply don’t know if the leak is hidden, but then, how do you know that you have a drain leak, so you can fix it? Here are some signs to look out for:
Raising water bills:
Raising water bills is one of the biggest signs that there is something wrong with your plumbing fixtures. Even if you limit water usage and observe it keenly, still you don’t know why your water bills rise to hundreds of dollars or even thousands of dollars.
That ticking sound
If you keep hearing the strange sound of water ticking, check out all the faucets in your kitchen and bathroom. If everything is fine and there still is the trickling sound, then you have a drain leak that needs to be checked.
Damp floor:
Another sign of a drain leak. If you find your floor damp or see a damp patch anywhere in your house, that means a drain leak. Drain leak cause water to seep upwards which keeps the floor damp and damage the interior, floor, and wood finish. Don’t forget, drain pipes snake through your whole house to make it to the sewer line, so this could be anywhere in your home.
Bad smells
Is your house smelling weird for the past few days? It is an alarming sign. You might haven’t noticed the drain leak in your house somewhere that has now started thriving mold behind the walls. And along with bad smells, it can also be perfect for bacteria growth. So, you know how unhygienic it is, you need to get a drain check.
Cracks in walls or foundations:
Minor cracks can settle over time in your house. But if you see a crack that happened to be there out of nowhere and it keeps widening then you must have a drain leak.
Insects barge in:
Even if there is the slightest fracture or a minor drain leak. Still, insects like cockroaches can make it to your house. and they are hard to get rid of. So call your plumber immediately.
Greener patches on your lawn
Your lawn might seem happier and greener in a few patches. That’s because of the seeping water. Plants eat up the wastewater and grow healthier but this is not what you want in the usage of wastewater. So, run to the professionals.
Minor And Most Common Drain Leaks:
Mostly, the drain leak happens in your kitchen or bathroom. In a bathroom, it is the tub/floor joint, that can cause leaks. And in the kitchen sink, the problem might occur due to the dishwasher. Let’s take a look:
• Splash drain:
When taking shower, your shower door or curtain is getting all wet due to splashed water. This means, there is a leak.
• Bathtub-shower leak:
Plug the drain of your shower tub after filling it. After an hour, check the water level, if it has dropped then there is a drain leak.
• Kitchen sink drain leak:
If your dishwasher drains water under the sink, then the water from your sink will take time to drain, which can cause a clogged drain. And clogged drain can cause your dishwasher to leak.
• Dishwasher seal leak:
If your dishwasher seems fine and doesn’t leak unless you start using it, then there might be a dishwasher seal leak.
How To Fix A Drain Leak?
There are a few solutions that you can use at home for a leaking drain pipe. But you can do it only if it is just a minor leak. But, if you cannot track a drain leak, or it is somewhere complicated, you need to find a plumber immediately because getting late can make the issue worse. Let’s take a look at a few DIY methods to fix drain leaks:
Fiberglass wrap:
You will need a piece of fiberglass wrap and sandpaper. At first, dry the pipe thoroughly. Rough down the leaking area on the pipe with sandpaper. Then wet the fiberglass wrap and wrap it tightly around the pipe, covering the damaged area. Make sure to leave 2-inches extra wrap on both sides of the damage. You can use the manufacturing instructions for further details. But it usually takes 15-20 minutes to settle because the resin under fiberglass paper needs to be hardened.
Use rubber epoxy:
Liquid epoxy and rubber epoxy can be used to repair drain leaks. Rubber epoxy forms like a putty whereas liquid epoxy is thinner and is best for fixing drain leaks in tight spaces like tub/floor joints.
Make sure to dry the pipe thoroughly before you start fixing it. Try to run a clean rag through the pipe so you know that pipe is dried and clean. Rubber epoxy works best with dry pipes.
Rubber epoxy also comes in syringe form where it will mix itself once your burst the tubes, but if not, then you need to mix the formulas to make rubber epoxy. You can use manufacturing instructions because every product has different ones. Once you are done making epoxy, you don’t have much time, so rush to the drain leak area. And after it is applied, it needs 12 hours to settle.
Repair tape:
You can also use pipe repair tape. It comes in silicone and rubber forms. Dry the pipe thoroughly by running a clean rag through it, to make the repair tape work perfectly. After that, wrap the tape around the pipe tightly, in a spiral fashion in case of length-wise damage.
Drain Express:
How can we help you? If you have plumbing issues that seek a professional’s eye to find the root cause of the problem, then we are no more than a call away.
Drain Express functions 24 hours because we care for the needs of our clients. We have trained plumbing professionals, as well as the latest equipment with the availability of multiple services. All you need to do is find us at our headquarters or visit our website. You can also call us. All the details can be found by clicking the link mentioned below.
Contact Details
Email: info@drainexpress.ca
Phone:
+1 416 752 5959
Our Location
300 New Toronto St #14,
Etobicoke, ON, M8V 2E8
24/h Customer Service
We are open 24/7
Contact us at any time
