A hidden water leak in your home can quickly become an emergency. The level of damage it causes is too significant to hold out on. Here are seven quick, easy ways to identify leaks in your plumbing system.

1. Check for Wall and Floor Abnormalities

If you notice discoloration on your wall or ceiling, you may have a water leak coming from pipes behind your wall. Most paints, especially water-based paints, become diluted when soaked for too long. They might even become weak and start to peel off. At this point, the underlying drywall or plaster is softened and damaged. In fact, if your home is made of wood, it could be rotting.

Also, check your floors and other areas made of concrete for cracks and bulges. Even though concrete is porous, it can absorb water and become compromised. If you notice any irregularities or feel dampness on your floors, you likely have a leak.

2. Mold Formation

Mold is a very resistant type of fungi. They feed on decomposing organic material and produce very light spores that can be carried by wind or drafts to any location. These spores can lie dormant and unscathed for years or even decades until an opportunity arises for them to germinate.

A hidden water leak in your home provides the ideal environment for the spores to thrive. You'll start seeing black, green, or blue powdery patches or streaks on your property. The color depends on the surface they are growing on.

Moreover, a musty smell will spread throughout your house. Mold releases a chemical known as microbial volatile organic compound (MVOC) as it grows, which has a distinct, earthy, and often unpleasant musty odor.

3. Unexplained Hike in Your Water Bill

A hidden leak may show itself through an unexpected increase in your water bill. According to several studies conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a home with a minor leak (drips) can lose about 90 gallons of water per day. In a week or month, the amount of wasted water can add up significantly, leading to high utility costs.

4. Reduced Water Pressure

Leaks in your plumbing will automatically lead to low water pressure for your taps and showers. During plumbing system installation, plumbers choose pipe sizes that ensure adequate pressure throughout the entire system. However, when there's a leak, water escapes before reaching its intended destination, resulting in a noticeable drop in pressure.

5. Weird Sounds

Be vigilant of the sounds your plumbing system produces when you turn on a faucet. If you can hear violent vibrations or noises like dripping, hissing, gurgling, or knocking, you might have a leak. 

Escaping water creates pressure fluctuations that cause vibrations in the pipes. The knocking sound you hear is the pipe hitting against other pipes or the surrounding walls as a result of these pressure changes.

Hissing and dripping may suggest water escaping through cracks or gaps. Gurgling, on the other hand, could indicate air trapped in the pipes. This air may have gotten in through the leakage sites.

6. Discolored Water

Pipes have protective linings and special coatings that prevent corrosion. When cracks develop, unprotected areas get exposed, and corrosion quickly begins. As water flows through the pipes, the turbulence created by the leak site will cause rust particles to dislodge and mix into the water stream. This results in brown or yellow discoloration, depending on the type of mineral buildup.

7. Constantly Running Meter

If your water meter still runs, even after turning off every water outlet in your home, including water-based appliances and toilets, you likely have a hidden leak. This clearly shows that water is escaping somewhere in your plumbing system.

Professional Assessment

Call a professional to confirm your suspicion of water leakage. Plumbers use specialized equipment with spot-on accuracy. They include:

Thermal Imaging Cameras

Plumbers use thermal imaging cameras with infrared technology to identify temperature differences on the wall. The temperature of the water just off the leak site is different from the surrounding area, which helps pinpoint the exact location of the leak.

Audio Leak Detectors

When leaks occur in pressurized systems (in this case, inside the pipes), they emit a unique sound frequency. Audio leak detectors can accurately pick up these subtle acoustic signals and amplify them, making it easier for a plumber to pinpoint the exact location of the leak.

Video Pipe Inspection Camera

Plumbers can also insert fiber optic snake cameras inside the pipe to see video footage of the pipe's interior in real-time. The camera is often fitted with an LED light and transmitter, allowing the plumber to navigate through the plumbing system and pinpoint the exact area where there is a leak.

The Repair Process

After detecting and locating the leak, the plumber will make repairs based on the extent of damage and size of the leak. For minor leaks, they will patch the affected area using material like epoxy or pipe repair tape. For slightly larger gaps, they'll cut out the affected section of the pipe and replace it with a new piece. They might even recommend replacing the entire pipeline if it shows signs of wear or potential future leaks.

Preventing Hidden Plumbing Leaks

You can stay proactive to avoid another case of a hidden plumbing leak. While plumbing leaks may cost a fortune to fix, preventing them is quite simple and cost-effective. Here's what you need to do:

Schedule Regular Plumbing Maintenance

At least once a year, call an experienced plumber to check your pipes, joints, fixtures, and water-based systems for signs of wear and tear. They can catch minor issues before they escalate and recommend the best way to handle your plumbing.

Insulate Your Pipes

During cold weather, freezing temperatures can turn water inside your pipes into ice. As water turns into ice, it exerts excessive pressure on the pipe walls. This can lead to hairline fractures or outright bursting of the pipes, which will lead to leaks. To prevent this, you need to insulate the pipes so that the surrounding temperatures don't affect the state of the water inside the pipes. This is particularly important in unheated areas like the attic, basement, and crawl spaces.

Install Water Leak Detection Devices

Water leak detectors are devices that can alert you through your phone or alarms at the onset of a leak. They are typically installed around areas most vulnerable to leaks, such as under sinks, near appliances, bathrooms, pipe joints, etc.

Contact Benjamin Franklin Plumbing® for More Information

You can trust Benjamin Franklin Plumbing® to detect leaks inside your home and provide long-lasting solutions. Our plumbers are highly skilled and experienced and are available 24/7. We guarantee complete satisfaction and integrity in our work. You can also reach out for other services, including water treatment solutions, whole-house repiping, and plumbing system maintenance.

Call Benjamin Franklin Plumbing® today for plumbing leak detection and repair in Minneapolis.