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This article describes the different types of plumbing leaks that can occur in building supply piping or drain piping. Knowing just what kind of leak is occurring in a building helps pinpoint the problem and also helps specify the necessary plumbing repair. The articles at this website will answer most questions about freeze protection for piping and other building plumbing and heating system components: how to winterize a building to avoid frozen pipes, and how to thaw frozen water supply & drain piping, wells, & water tanks.

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A Quick Tutorial on Types of Water Supply & Drain Pipe Leaks Helps Find Leaks in Buildings

Understanding the types of water leaks that occur in building piping can help you find or watch out for leaks that are not so obvious when water is first turned on in a building. Keep in mind that these are by no means all of the building leaks that can occur. Others include leaky shower pans, leaky air conditioning condensate drains, bad sump pump drains, leaky water tanks, leaky water heaters, leaks at tankless coils, and leaks from outside the building from roof runoff or surface runoff. Here we focus attention on leaks that occur in building piping:

• Gusher water supply pipe water leaks: if a water supply pipe has burst, split, been cut open, or has separated at a solder joint, as soon as water is turned on to that area of the building the pipe will probably leak a lot of water very quickly: you will notice gusher leaks almost immediately by sound or by the visual evidence of water flooding or wetting some area of the building.
• Drip and pinhole water supply pipe leaks: a small leak may be present at a water supply pipe such as from a loose threaded fitting, worn valve stem packing, or even a pinhole due to corrosion or due to a nail or screw having been driven into a supply pipe. These leaks can take a longer time to discover because the rate of leak is so slow. (Don't pull out that nail or screw when you find it until you've first shut off the water supply or a bigger leak will ensue.) But these leaks normally are indeed discovered in days or weeks after they occur.
• Plumbing fixture faucet leaks: sometimes a sink, tub, or shower faucet develops a leak, usually around the valve stem packing, that will leak only when the valve is in the open position - that is, when water is running at that faucet. These leaks fall in two sub-classes: visible and hidden.
  • A visible water faucet leak shows up where you can see it, such as dripping into the sink, tub, or shower around the faucet control when the control is opened, but stopping when the faucet is shut.
  • A hidden water faucet leak is much more sneaky. Particularly at tub and shower controls mounted on a vertical wall, some faucets may leak inside of the wall cavity when the faucet is open and water is running. Because these leaks are usually just a slow drip, the leak may be present for months or even longer before it is finally noticed. Typically these surreptitious faucet leaks show up as a stain in a ceiling below the fixture or as mold or moldy odors in a building. Opening a wall or ceiling cavity may be necessary to find and repair such leaks.
• Plumbing drain leaks: plumbing drain leaks are a bit like our hidden water faucet leak: they only show up if the particular leaky drain is carrying wastewater. For example, a leaky shower trap in an upstairs shower may go unnoticed for a long time if it's the guest-bath shower that is rarely used.
  
  Except where the drain pipes are visible, such as in a basement or crawl space, plumbing drain leaks may be slow to appear and show up as a stain in a ceiling or wall below the offending drain, or as mold or mold odors in a building.
  
  Of course if a plumbing drain has literally burst or fallen open the leak will be enormous and will show up quickly as was the case with our gusher water pipe leaks described above.

Also see Thawing Frozen Pipes which addresses how to find frozen and burst pipe leaks in buildings, and see  Repairing Burst Leaky Pipes.

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FREEZE-PROOF A BUILDING
Key Winterizing Topics
How to Winterize a Building

Winterize - Heat On Procedure
  Thermostat Settings
  Turn Water Off ?
  Winterize Water Softener & Treatment Equip.
  Find & Fix Water Pipe Freeze-Up Points
  Heat tapes, Heat, Insulation prevent Freeze-Up
  Freeze Protect Drains

Winterize- Heat Off Procedure

De-Winterized a Building
  Thawing Frozen Pipes
  Repairing Burst Leaky Pipes
  Turning on Heating
  Restoring Drains
  Turning on Water
  Water Supply/Drain Pipe Leak Types
  Restoring Water Softener & Treatment Equip

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Technical Reviewers & References

• InspectAPedia.com^® - Daniel Friedman
• Critique, contributions wanted: Contact Us to suggest corrections or additions to articles at this website, and if you wish, to receive online listing and credit as a contributor. Particular thanks are due to the many experts and also consumers who read and critique technical articles at InspectAPedia.com.
• "New Electric Heat Tapes Help Prevent Fires," US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) #00936
• Thanks to Alan Carson and Bob Dunlop, Carson Dunlop, Associates, Toronto, for permission to use illustrations from their publication, The Illustrated Home which illustrates construction details and building components. Carson Dunlop provides home inspection education, publications, report writing materials, and home inspection services. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors.
• "Freezeproof Your House," Mike McClintock, Rodale's New Shelter, p. 30, October 1985 (approximate date)
• "How to Winterize Your Pipes," Mike McClintock, Homeowners How-To Magazine, p. 59-62, Nov-Dec 1979.

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More Information on Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs

• Clogged Drain Diagnosis: Is it a blocked drain or the septic system? - A First Step for Homeowners
• DRAIN NOISE DIAGNOSIS: may indicate defective or clogged plumbing: how to diagnose and cure drain sounds
• Guide to Heating Thermostats - how to install, adjust, set thermostats - avoid freezing pipes
• Heating Boiler Operation Details - 39 steps: keep the heat working to avoid freezing pipes
• Heat loss diagnosis: for hot water systems (boilers) and for warm air systems (furnaces)
• HOT WATER HEATERS - a detailed guide to all types of hot water sources, problems, inspection, repair
• Water Pressure Loss - Diagnosis how to determine why water pressure has been lost or why there is no water at all in a building

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