How to Find A Small Leak

In our last blog, we talked about how a homeowner can prevent a leak while they’re away on vacation. But, sometimes leaks start while a homeowner is at home, but they may not be aware of it right away.

Sometimes, a tiny leak beneath the kitchen or bathroom vanity can quietly grow, damaging the flooring and cabinets. It can even damage the ceiling and walls if the leak starts in an upstairs bathroom. The only way to prevent extensive damage as the result of a small leak is to find it early.

Signs of a leak

Because the plumbing for sinks is often out of sight, it can be a long time before anyone notices leaks. Perhaps looking for something beneath the sink, a person will see a little water or musty odor. By then, a leak could do considerable damage. For this reason, we encourage our customers to check the area beneath their sinks regularly for leaks.

Other signs of a leak are damage in the cabinet beneath the leak, loose or lifting flooring in front of the sink or vanity, a musty smell, or ‘lifting’ or other damage to a countertop around the fixtures.

Wet particle board gives off a slight odor, which is sometimes the first sign of a leak that a homeowner notices.

There are two kinds of leaks beneath a sink: a supply line leak or a drain leak.

Supply line leak

To find a supply line leak, it’s a simple matter of repeatedly pressing and checking a clean tissue against the shutoff valve and connections until the tissue comes away damp. Sometimes, a corroded valve or pipe will show you exactly where the leak started. By tracing the wet spot to the highest level, you can probably find out exactly where the leak originates. If the leak is beneath the kitchen sink and you have a dishwasher, you may have to run it through a cycle to discover if that is the source of your problem.

Mineral deposits on a valve are another sign of a slow leak.

If it’s the supply valve, you might try tightening the packing nut. If that doesn’t work, the valve needs to be replaced. If it’s a connection, the compression nut might need to be tightened, or disassembled and reassembled after applying some Teflon joint compound.

Drain leaks

To find a drain leak, fill the sink bowl with water. Press the tissue against each fitting and connection as the water drains out until you locate the source. Again, if you have a dishwasher, you’ll have to test that as well.

The ring nut for the basket strainer might be loose, which would cause a drain leak. Or, the plumber’s putty might need to be replaced.

If it’s a slip joint, that slip joint nut might need to be tightened.

If it’s a toilet, there may be water around the base. We will talk more about that in a future blog.

We will repair all leaks

Some of our customers have some handy skills and will want to fix the small stuff themselves. Other customers don’t have the tools or skills to do their own repairs, are busy, or have concerns about making it worse. That’s okay: we’ll always be there when you call us, whether it’s something big or small. You can feel confident to call us for any plumbing problem or repair, and we’ll be happy to help.

Frontier Plumbing of Las Vegas is a full-service commercial and residential plumbing company offering a full spectrum of plumbing services. We are determined to exceed your expectations! Call 702-602-6705 today!