Warning Signs of a Hidden Plumbing Leak

Look

• Yellow or brown stains on ceilings below bathrooms.
• Paint bubbling or peeling on walls with plumbing behind them.
• Warped baseboards or vinyl flooring lifting at the edges.
• Grout darkening around a tub or shower that never dries.
• Rust or green crust on pipe fittings in the basement.
• Mould spots inside cabinets under sinks.

Listen

When the house is quiet, listen near walls for hissing or dripping. A toilet that refills by itself, with a short hiss, is leaking past the flapper. Running water sounds with all taps off mean something is running somewhere.

Smell

A musty, earthy smell in one room or closet is often hidden moisture. A sewer smell can mean a dried-out trap, a failed wax ring under a toilet, or a cracked drain pipe.

Feel

Soft spots in the floor near a toilet or tub. Warm patches on a slab floor, which suggest a hot water line leaking underneath. A wall that is cooler and damp to the touch.

Watch the numbers

A water bill that rises without explanation is a strong sign. Our note on water bill spikes explains the meter test. Low water pressure that appears suddenly can also mean a leak somewhere in the supply.

Where leaks hide in Vaughan homes

In newer homes, we find most leaks at fittings under sinks, at toilet supply lines, and in ensuite shower valves. In older homes, pinholes in copper, rusted galvanized joints and cracked cast iron. In homes with finished basements, leaks in the ceiling plumbing go unnoticed until the drywall stains.

If you see signs but cannot find the source, leak detection uses meters and thermal imaging to find it without opening walls at random.