Water leaks: the most common causes

Water damage can be hard to find and expensive to repair. Most property owners keep an eye on the water lines under a sink or toilet to ensure no obvious leaks are causing damage, but what about other areas in your home?

With bluebot, you can keep an eye on your property’s water usage and know when you are experiencing a leak, allowing you to catch it before it becomes costly to repair. Here are some of the most common causes of water damage:

Plumbing Water Leaks Inside The Wall

Water Heater Leaks

Leaks in your hot water heater generally occur when it’s past the expected life range. If you’ve been using the same water heater for more than 20 years, you probably have some rust and corrosion deterioration that can cause a slow leak or even a large burst. It’s important to keep up with water heating system maintenance. Prior to installing your bluebot, you can remove the drain pipe, you may hear a hissing sound or notice a puddle underneath the tank. Placing bluebot directly on your main water line near your hot water heater is a great location for bluebot and will provide total peace of mind for your home.

Washing Machine Leaks

Your washing machine often accounts for a large amount of water use in your home. Leaks generally arise when a seal or water supply hose ruptures. Failures can happen after continued use. To identify a leak, you can look for puddles nearby, inspect your hoses and seals for signs of wear (cracking or other marks). You may also notice build up of mold or mildew, indicating a slow leak.

Sink Leaks

To most, this is one of the most obvious locations to keep an eye on for leaks in the home, office, garage, etc. Faucets that are left on, don’t create a full seal to close, or caulking that has disintegrated can all be common sources for leaking water. Check for puddling water, mildew, or discoloration below your sink. While you may think placing bluebot under your sink is a great place, the sink water lines actually have a lot of air in them and will not provide accurate data for bluebot. Placement on the main water line is required as it is pressurized and allows our patented ultrasonic technology to work exceptionally well.

Toilet Leaks

You might be surprised to find that your newly installed low-flow toilet is the culprit of a pretty large leak. Toilets often have a faulty flapper, a high water level, or a water-logged float that results in constantly running water to the toilet, consuming hundreds of gallons every month if left unattended. If none of those seem to be the issue, you may have a broken valve. Outside of constantly running toilets, your toilet may also spring a leak at the flange and wax ring. You can check behind your toilet while you’re cleaning it and look for any mold, mildew, puddles, or small drips as an indicator that something is failing.

Shower & Tub Leaks

Showers and tubs can be some of the harder to detect, because they are often hidden behind tiles. You will often have lower water pressure in your shower if you have a leak. Tiles may also begin to lift if there is a leak behind the walls.

Refrigerator Leaks

If your refrigerator has a water supply or an ice maker it’s susceptible to leaking. Identifying these leaks can be difficult as they often happen over a long period of time and go unnoticed. Having a reliable water monitoring system like bluebot can help provide insight into your home’s water usage and mitigate leaks before they become a bigger issue.

Dishwasher Leaks

Your dishwasher is similar to your refrigerator in the sense that leaks can happen over long periods of time and go unnoticed, causing a lot of damage to your floor. If you suspect a leak, unplug the appliance and check behind it for any puddles, mold, or damage to the walls.

Irrigation Leaks

Irrigation leaks can become catastrophic very quickly, as they are easy to overlook until your water bill arrives at the end of the month. Irrigation heads can fail and are often in areas you may not frequently check on your property. Placing bluebot on your irrigation line and monitoring it separately is the best way to ensure your watering schedule stays on track and your water bill is as it should be.

Did you know the average home water damage insurance claim is over $10,000?

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If you’d like to avoid catastrophic leaks in your home, simply order your bluebot today. Install in minutes with no tools needed to gain total peace of mind regarding your home’s water utilization, and catch leaks before they become a bigger issue. Your wallet will thank you.