How To Prevent A Leak In Your Home

While uncovering a leak in your home is an undeniable inconvenience, it’s far better to be in a situation where you can stop water damage from happening before it starts. Leak detection can prevent you from spending thousands of pounds on expensive repairs caused by bursting pipes, collapsed ceilings, flooded kitchens, and other damage caused by water that your home insurance provider may not cover.

While there are many companies throughout the UK who specialise in repairing homes that have suffered extensive water damage, in the majority of cases accidents can be prevented by carrying out proper maintenance in your home to prevent leaks before they start.

One common culprit that often goes undetected actually comes from outside the house. Without knowing it, planting trees and plants all around the house can actually be a bad idea. Have you ever walked down the road and seen the pavement cracked and raised by tree roots fighting back against the concrete? Most people don’t realise that this could be happening right underneath their house, damaging their plumbing and cracking the foundations, causing leaks. If your house is surrounded by trees or if you’ve recently bought a new home and want to think about planting them, be sure to bear in mind that their location needs to be carefully thought out first

This also goes for leaves and other debris clogging up your gutters and blocking water flow, causing it to drain through your roof or enter in your windows. The best way to avoid leaks of this sort is to ensure your plants and trees are regularly trimmed and to check your guttering every so often to ensure that there are no obstructions there.

High water pressure can also cause pipes to burst. The higher your water pressure is, the greater the stress you are placing on your piping. Too large a volume of water coursing through pipes is often the cause of unexpected, sudden and rapid accidents, so be sure that yours is not turned up too high.

Leak detection can not only prevent grave damage, it can also save you money. If your water is on a metre, don’t wait until you receive your water bill in the post to see how much you are consuming. Checking your metre from time to time can identify potential sources of dripping. The best way to identify a leak is to take a metre reading and then wait for an hour or two before taking another. If no water has been used between the two readings then it is unlikely that you have a leak. If it has, then you probably do.

Leaking taps or toilets are often the reason many people overspend on water. Make sure the rubber washers on your taps are new and have your toilets checked over to be sure. Keep in mind that your home is your most valuable asset and it’s worth taking care of. By carrying out basic minimum maintenance you can save yourself time and money, and protect the things you love the most.