Common Water Leaks & How To Fix Them

Water leaks are a homeowner’s nightmare.

Besides causing water damage, they can also negatively affect your:

• Water bills
• Boiler pressure
• Central heating Hot water supply.

You may be able to fix them yourself, depending on how severe the issue is.

Read on to learn how to fix a water leak quickly and effectively whilst you wait for professional help.

How to spot a hidden leak

If a pipe bursts, the pooling water makes it immediately obvious.

But other leaks, like a leaking boiler, are much less obvious and harder to spot.

Carry out regular checks on your plumbing system to catch weaknesses early.

Inspect your taps, around your toilet pipe wall cover, and under your sink.

Look out for any signs of water or funny smells coming from your pipework.

Spotting a blockage early will prevent leakage and save you a lot of time and money.

Immediate first steps

1. Turn off the water supply

You should do this in two places:

• The water valve on the pipe closest to the leak
• The stopcock. Often located under kitchen sinks, but sometimes utility rooms, under stairs or airing cupboards.

It’s worth turning both off as a precaution in case the water valve fails.

If leak is near electrics

If your leak is near any electrical sockets, you should turn off that circuit in your fuse box/consumer unit.

2. Drain the taps

Turn on the taps connected to the pipe and let the water run out.

If the taps don’t appear to be draining the pipe, you will need to look for a bleed valve instead.

Whilst this is happening, dry off the pipe with a towel and cover your floor to protect it.

When the water stops flowing from the tap, you know it’s fully drained.

3. Take the strain off the pipe

Grab a cloth and tie it tightly around the pipe at the source of the leak.

This will help minimise water damage in your home whilst you wait for help.

Identify the cause of the leak

A loose joint

You can fix this by simply tightening the joint.

You can usually tighten a joint by hand. Try with a spanner if that doesn’t work.

Once you’ve tried this, reconnect the water supply at the water valve and stopcock.

Then partially turn on a tap connected to the pipe and see if the leaking continues or has stopped.

Note: If the leak is close to a radiator, it could be a leaking radiator valve. And if it’s near you boiler, it could be a leaking boiler.

A cracked or split pipe

You can only possibly temporarily manage this until a plumber comes and fixes it.

It can be caused by corrosion or external damage (a DIY mishap, for example).

In the meantime, keep the water sources switched off.

A problem with your mains water supply

Mains water supplies sometimes have faults, such as pressure surges.

This might cause a leak inside your home. Sometimes it even causes a dripping tap.

Either way, in this event, your water company is the only one responsible for fixing the issue.

However, in the meantime, a mains pressure surge may have accelerated an underlying issue with your pipework. So, it’s worth having a plumber inspect it regardless.

How to seal a leaking pipe

While you’re waiting for a plumber, there is a temporary fix you can try.

You’ll need self-amalgamating (self-fusing) tape and epoxy paste. Hardware stores usually have both.

Follow these steps below on how to seal a leaking pipe: Wrap the self-fusing’s tape around the pipe several times, until it’s fully sealed Apply epoxy paste to any spots in the pipe that are still leaking water Leave this to dry according to the manufacturer’s instructions on the packaging.

How to prevent plumbing leaks

Have your boiler serviced regularly

Older boilers that have not been regularly serviced often suffer from leaking problems.

A dripping boiler wastes water and compromises your machine’s internal components.

The best way to prevent this is an annual boiler service by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

They will identify any underlying problems before they get serious.

Check your water pressure

If your water pressure is too high, it puts a massive strain on your water pipes.

This seriously reduces the life expectancy of valves and joints, where leaks are most likely.

If an overly powerful spurt of water comes from your cold tap, try turning the stop tap down.

In some cases, you may need a plumber to install a pressure-reducing valve.

Insulate your pipes

When temperatures drop below zero, water in your outside drain pipes will freeze.

Freezing water expands, which causes your plumbing system to crack.

Use drain pipe lagging to insulate your plumbing system and prevent winter leaks.

This prevents water damage and also helps you save on energy costs.

Understand the location of your pipes

Accidentally drilling through central heating pipework will cause a massive leak.

Always buy a stud sensor before doing DIY.

It will beep when it scans over a hidden pipe or cable.

Use a pencil to mark where they are located and avoid contact.

Get comprehensive boiler and central heating cover with Hometree

You can’t always fix a leak yourself.

Hometree’s boiler cover offers fixed price repairs for water leaks under our comprehensive care plans.

Our experts are here for you 24/7.

Get in touch and we’ll arrange a visit from one of our local engineers at a time that suits you