Humans have experimented with plumbing ever since we started walking the earth. Some of the earliest examples of plumbing date back to Ancient Egypt. Pharaohs had bathrooms in their tombs, and in their palaces as well. The poor, meanwhile, used a bucket with sand in it, so it’s definitely a good thing that plumbing practices have advanced so much over the ages. Even modern plumbing systems have their issues, though. One of these issues is that of leaky pipes.
While small leaks may not sound like much of a problem, they can do a lot of damage if not dealt with. We’ll talk about some signs of leaky pipes in this article.
1. Discoloration of Walls and Ceilings
The thing about leaky pipes is that they’re hard to notice unless they’ve been leaking for a while. It’s only after a certain amount of time that the effects of water damage show.
If you’re wondering how to detect a leak, the biggest sign is the discoloration of walls and ceilings. Why does this happen? The key reason is that the water came out of your pipes.
In most cases, the water you drink is clean and healthy. However, pipes are made of metal, and metal often rusts as time passes. These stains are the result of some of that rust hitting your walls and ceiling and slowly accumulating there.
However, there’s a major difference between slight discoloration and major discoloration. Major discoloration is bad news and may come with a sagging wall or sealing. In these cases, it’s best to call for plumbing repair.
2. Visible Mold
While standing water damages many household materials, other things thrive in it. These things, unfortunately, are mold.
Mold is a colony of microscopic organisms that feed on forms of carbon, which includes pretty much whatever it can find to live on. Molds reproduce by sending out spores.
The problem is that some people are allergic to mold spores. This includes those with asthma or other breathing difficulties and anyone who may have a weakened immune system.
The good news is that acids, such as vinegar and baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and diluted bleach, will kill most types of mold. However, mold usually grows back if the moist surface they grew on isn’t dried out and cleaned.
Cleaning regularly, opening windows, and turning on the heater or air conditioner can stop mold growth.
3. Strange Smells
You may notice that your home, or parts of it, are starting to smell odd. This is an indicator that you may have a mold or mildew problem, which is often caused by leaky pipes.
The smell is from gasses known as MVOCs. MVOC stands for Microbial Volatile Organic Compounds, which mold and mildew give off as they grow and reproduce.
Despite their name, we don’t know for sure if MVOCs are dangerous. We know they can cause symptoms, such as headaches, dizziness, coughing, and congestion, among others, but unless you have asthma, there doesn’t seem to be any serious health risk.
Signs of Leaky Pipes
Leaky pipes can lead to a lot of problems if ignored for too long. We’ve talked about how you can identify leaky pipes in this article.
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