Plumbing

Plumbing leaks will give you more than molds and rotting scents. They increase your water bill, damage your house from the inside, and causes inefficiency in the water heating system. Also, ugly stains on the wall will undoubtedly reduce your house’s price in the property market. But luckily, we know the three practical steps that can prevent any leaks in the house.

Replacing the Old Pipes

You must not wait until there are visible damages in the plumbing lines. Regular checking is essential for homes with hard water. Unfiltered water brings along magnesium and calcium, which sooner or later form limescale.

There three common pipe materials: brass, copper, and galvanized steel. They are all manufactured to last for 50 years above. But every place has unexpected environmental variables such as water’s mineral deposits, unsteady high pressure, and high salinity that can shorten pipes’ lifespan drastically.

It is important to note that houses built in the early 20th-century use lead pipes. They do last for a considerably long time (100 years), but the lead corrodes over time and contaminates the water. It may not ruin your house but will harm your health.

Conducting Plumbing Audit Regularly

You should call a plumber to check if everything is okay. It is better to notice small damage and spend some bucks to fix it immediately than to wait for it to get worse. Remember that plumbing leaks may require you to saw through the wall to fix it.

If you are UK citizens, you should look for  water leak detection specialists as they know how to detect leak sources without tearing down any structures at home. The professional equipment includes thermal imaging tools, acoustic listening devices, endoscope cameras, and hydrogen traces gas. Those tools determine the quality of a leak detection service.

Insulating the Pipes

Besides limescale, temperature change also deteriorates pipes because heat can expand the material while cold contract it. To deal with that problem, you have to locate the pipes that are most likely to get exposed to outdoor temperature. Basement plumbing rarely needs insulation because the house’s heating system can still cover the room during winter. But places like the ceiling, crawl space, and garage gets affected by the outdoor temperature.

To insulate the pipes, you can use insulation tapes that are made of aluminum or foam. What you need to know is the R-value of the materials, which is a measurement unit of how suitable they are in keeping heat. Therefore, a cold area will need a tape with a high R-value.…