Category: Water Leaks

Updated August 2024 by John Salmon. What’s causing leaking pipes and is it likely to turn to a burst pipe and full scale plumbing emergency? From mysterious drips to puddles forming in the front yard, most homeowners will encounter a leaking pipe at least once in their lifetime. The biggest issue with water leaks is finding where they started in the first place. This can be tricky when pipe work is concealed. Fortunately, an experienced Brisbane plumber (that’s us, in case you were wondering) will easily be able to detect this.

What causes leaking pipes?

Extremely high water pressure 

• Some locations can have water pressure higher than 1000kpa – this should be reduced at the entry to the property with a Pressure Limiting Valve. 300-500kpa is a normal pressure range.
• A pipe under stress from high water pressure for a sustained period of time is prone to leakage.

Cracks

• If you live in an older property, then your pipes may be cracked simply because they are old and have been exposed to minor movement over many years. Depending on the type of pipes on your property, many will need to be replaced when they are around 50 years old.

Corrosion

• Corroded pipes are also prone to leakage. Apart from age, pipes may corrode due to pH levels, water temperature, velocity, and oxygen content.

Clogged Drains: 

• A build-up of hair, grease, debris or objects in your drainage pipes can cause your pipe to block. It’s also not uncommon for small objects to become accidentally flushed down the drain and become lodged in your pipes.  These small blockages in turn can cause back-ups. Back-ups increase the pressure in your drainage pipes and these can eventually cause pipe leaks that can be difficult to locate, particularly if they are underground. A sign of a blockage is that your drains start to take longer than normal to clear. 
•  In this situation, it is best not to use chemical drain cleaners. While they may help clear the blockage, they can also eat away at the pipe causing corrosion and therefore in the long run be a more expensive fix.

Renovations

• If you have been doing a bit of home renovations and screwing nails into the wall, it can be easy to inadvertently hit a water pipe and cause a pipe leak.  While most homeowners don’t know exactly where the pipework is in their home, if you are renovating and have a few unplastered walls, it’s a good idea to take photos of the pipework so you know what areas to avoid if you want to hang shelves, cabinets or even pictures.

Bad workmanship

• While this is less common, hiring an unqualified plumber or doing the job yourself might also inadvertently cause a pipe leak. In this instance, it is normally that the joints are not tight enough or done correctly. Perhaps the wrong material has been used.  While it’s tempting to try and do the work yourself, it is best to use a licensed plumber.  

Tree Roots 

• Not all leaks start inside the building. Some, like tree roots protruding into pipework, start outside. The root system of some trees are very deep and spread as far as the width of the tree. If you have trees close to your home, it’s possible that a tree root may make its way into the drainage pipe and cause a water leak. 

Broken Seals

• Seals are placed on appliances that are connected to water to create a watertight connection. When appliances, like a dishwasher, age the seal can break down or degrade over time. A sure sign of this is when you notice a puddle of water near your appliance. It could be a sure sign that you have a broken seal. 

Types of leaks and how to detect them

Roof, Gutter and Leaks in the Ceiling

While not a leaking pipe, roof and gutter leaks create water inundation that can turn from a minor problem to an outright disaster very quickly. Water patches or mould on your ceiling could be from a broken tile or an overly full gutter, but it could be from a leaking pipe in your roof cavity. This is especially common if you have an on-roof solar hot water tank. The issue with detecting a leak in a pipe in your ceiling is that they can be tricky! It gets very hot up there in Brisbane in summer so as it expands and contracts the leak may be more or less apparent.

Leaking Taps

A dripping tap is a relatively simple problem to fix – usually the washer has deteriorated the tap needs reseating. This is a pretty quick and easy job, unless its not. If there’s a leak in the pipe coming into your tap, it could be a bigger problem than first thought. If in doubt get the plumber out!

Leaking Flexihoses

That fancy kitchen tap that has a pull down hose – a leak here is a full scale plumbing emergency in the making and it’s come soon. Do not wait. Call a plumber the minute you notice a leak in a flexihose. These renovator’s dreams only last a few years and are under constant stress. When they leak, it means that the hose itself and the casing is compromised. The big problem is that these are connected to your water supply without the “stop-gap” of a tap. So if it bursts while you’re at work, or worse, away, it will purge more than 7 litres of water a minute into your home. Do not, I repeat, do not ignore a leak in a flexihose. Learn more here.

Drain Leaks

Drain leaks can be really bad news, especially if the leak is occurring on a floor other than the ground floor and there is a ceiling of another room below. Drain leaks occur when water that is in a wet area like a shower or bathtub does not all exit through the drain. Instead, the water escapes through joints in the drain as well.

This problem is especially common where there is a fibreglass bathtub or shower flooring. Unlike tiles and grout, fibreglass flexes and warps a little bit each time that weight is placed on it. That means that after years of normal use, the tight seal around the drain hole weakens and water might find its way through. It is also possible over long periods of time that slight movement of pipework can cause loosening of pipework and fittings causing water leaks that can not always be seen.  A steady, continual leak underneath a bathtub or shower will slowly ruin the floor under the bathroom or the ceiling of the room below.

There’s a simple way to test whether your drain has a minor leak. The first is filling the tub or shower area with water and observing for warping/leaks from the floor below. Water stains and discolouration are also tell-tale signs. The other tactic to use is to fill the area with water then mark the level of the water on the wall. Check back after a short period. If the level has gone down, then it’s likely you’ve got a drain leak.

Hot Water System Leaks

Fun fact: Hot water systems need maintenance. Annually and then every five years. It’s in your manual. It’s part of the conditions of your warranty and, it’s just a good idea to prolong the life of your system and prevent premature ageing, or an outright disaster. Over time the seals on your system deteriorate which can cause water leaks. Keep an eye out for water pooling at the base of your system, or on the tank itself. Once you’ve got a hot water system leak, simple maintenance may not be enough to save it. But, it could be, call us out asap!

Tile Leaks

Whether it’s a laundry, shower or bathroom, tile leaks are sneaky, hard to find and can cause serious damage to the wall behind it. Gaps in tiles caused by loose tiles or cracked grout, even if they aren’t regularly covered in water, can be a huge headache. That’s because while water won’t leak, steam and moisture will get behind the tile and between it and the wall. This can lead to the wall rotting from the inside out.

Signs to watch out for are peeling paint, tiny cracks in the grout next to tiles, and mould that grows back regularly because it has a warm damp home behind the cracked tile to grow in.

Toilet Leaks

Few things are as concerning as a leaking toilet, but there are some simple things to be on the lookout for to make sure you can get things fixed before it leaks all over the bathroom area. The first thing to watch for is a toilet that rocks or “gives” a bit when it’s pushed or when the flush button is pushed. Minor leaks around the toilet are also obvious causes for concern, as is the appearance of the water pooling more on one side of the bowl of the toilet than the other.

No matter where your leak or suspected leak is, a professionally qualified plumber can take a look for you, point out where you might have problems, and potentially save you thousands of dollars in repair costs by getting on top of a problem early. Our friendly, experienced team of professionals at Salmon Plumbing in Brisbane are ready and available to do this for you today, so give us a call to set an appointment.

While it might be tempting to fix this yourself, its best left to a professional.

We have a standardised leak detection service and are available 24/7.

If you have a plumbing problem, don’t hesitate to give our professionals at Salmon Plumbing in Brisbane a call. Our experienced team of plumbers are qualified to take on any commercial and residential plumbing issue, including leaky pipes, burst pipes, roof leaks, and other emergencies.

We invite you to contact us online or give us a call on (07) 3862 2600.