Guide to Types of Leaks in Water Supply & Drain Piping

A simple guide to the types of leaks that occur in water pipes, drain pipes, & plumbing fixtures
- Water supply pipe and well pipe leak types & diagnosis
- Catalog of types of plumbing leaks helps find leaks in buildings
- When where, why, and how to check for & fix water supply and drain leaks
- How to de-winterize a building and restore the plumbing & heating systems to service
References

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Types of leaks in water supply or drain piping: 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.

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:

Also see WELL PIPING LEAK DIAGNOSIS. Also if you are de-winterizing or having frozen see Thawing Frozen Pipes which addresses how to find frozen and burst pipe leaks in buildings, and see Repairing Burst Leaky Pipes.

Types of Leaks in Water Supply 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. Also see WELL PIPING LEAK DIAGNOSIS below.
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.

Types of Leaks in Building Drain Piping

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.

Well Piping Leaks

Our main article on this topic is found at WELL PIPING LEAK DIAGNOSIS. Excerpts are below.

At WATER PRESSURE PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS TABLE we note that a possible explanation for loss of building water pressure, or loss of well pump prime can be air leaking into a well piping line, as well as water leaking out of the well pipe.

Water will leak out of a well pipe at a bad connection, perforation, or cracked pipe when the well pump is running, particularly if the water system uses a submersible pump that is located in the well itself. If you have this problem you may find a wet spot in the ground near the well piping, provided that the pipe is close enough to the surface. You will also notice that the well pump is running more often than normal, and that your "apparent" water usage may have increased. Some people even report finding a "water fountain" or geyser in the lawn at a burst water supply pipe from both private wells and from a municipal water main.

Air may leak into a well water pipe at a bad connection, perforation, or other damage when the well pump stops running, particularly if the leak problem is combined with a defective check valve or foot valve in the piping system. The result may be air discharged from plumbing fixtures (see AIR DISCHARGE at FAUCETS, FIXTURES), improper air charge in the water pressure tank, or loss of pump prime. Short cycling of the water pump or loss of pump prime may result as well.

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Technical Reviewers & References

Related Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.

"New Electric Heat Tapes Help Prevent Fires," US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) #00936
Mark Cramer Inspection Services Mark Cramer, Tampa Florida, Mr. Cramer is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors and is a Florida home inspector and home inspection educator. Mr. Cramer serves on the ASHI Home Inspection Standards. Contact Mark Cramer at: 727-595-4211 mark@BestTampaInspector.com
John Cranor is an ASHI member and a home inspector (The House Whisperer) is located in Glen Allen, VA 23060. He is also a contributor to InspectApedia.com in several technical areas such as plumbing and appliances (dryer vents). Contact Mr. Cranor at 804-747-7747 or by Email: johncranor@verizon.net
Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd., 120 Carlton Street Suite 407, Toronto ON M5A 4K2. (416) 964-9415 1-800-268-7070 info@carsondunlop.com. The firm provides professional home inspection services & home inspection education & publications. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors. Thanks to Alan Carson and Bob Dunlop, for permission for InspectAPedia to use text excerpts from The Home Reference Book & illustrations from The Illustrated Home. Carson Dunlop Associates' provides:
- Commercial Building Inspection Courses - protocol ASTM Standard E 2018-08 for Property Condition Assessments
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- The Home Reference Book, a reference & inspection report product for building owners & inspectors.
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- The Illustrated Home illustrates construction details and building components, a reference for owners & inspectors.
  Special Offer: For a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Illustrated Home purchased as a single order Enter INSPECTAILL in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.
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"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.
Thanks to reader Dan Babb for discussing well piping leaks, July 2010

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.
Plumbing Diagnosis & Repair: Water supply, drainage, septic systems, water testing, water contamination, defective plumbing materials & products.

The Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson Dunlop & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, 25th Ed., 2012, is a bound volume of more than 450 illustrated pages that assist home inspectors and home owners in the inspection and detection of problems on buildings. The text is intended as a reference guide to help building owners operate and maintain their home effectively. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume. Special Offer: For a 10% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference Book purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.

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