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Determining The Causes Of Overflow Pipe Leaks With Your Reliable Plumbing Service Provider | Katy, TX
Any sort of leak in your home is worrisome. You might have a leaky roof, kitchen leak, or overflow pipe. Your sewers and water lines might also be leaky. No matter the plumbing fixture, any leak at your home could have your head spinning. This is because leaks are a serious plumbing issue that could lead to moisture damage. Although you can prevent flooding caused by a leak, you might not be successful at preventing the ensuing mold growth. Moisture can damage fixtures and appliances in your home, bathroom, or kitchen. Whenever you notice that your overflow pipe is leaking, you should have a plumbing service provider come over to your home for a deeper inspection and to fix it.
What’s an Overflow Pipe?
This piping extends from the water storage tank to prevent water from leaking into your rooms or house area. It is among the most important yet often ignored features of your home’s plumbing system. The overflow pipe leaks when the cistern or tank fills up over the allowed levels, causing excessive water to flow into the overflow piping. When this happens repeatedly, you should have a plumbing service provider check the fixture where the overflow pipe is connected.
Causes of Overflow Pipe Leaks
Overflow Pipe Leaking in Tanks
Have you installed a cold water or F&E (feed and expansion) tank at your home? Then it is important to check if the overflow pipe in those tanks is leaking. Although a leaking toilet cistern and its pipe are common, they aren’t always the culprit. Cold-water tanks also can spring leakages when filling or because of many other issues. To check if the tank leaks, the plumbing service provider lets the cold water flow out of the tap and observes if the leakage persists.
If it does, there may be other underlying problems besides the overflow. Even in the case of an F&E tank, leakages might not have a simple cause, like in a valve or washer. Hence, you must rule out all other potential causes before concluding that the tank is leaking, and having a plumbing service provider inspect the tank is the best option.
Check Water Pressure
If the water pressure in your plumbing is higher than the component’s overflow pipe can hold/manage, it will spring a leakage. Hence, you should have a plumbing service provider check the pressure levels in your plumbing even if you notice the overflow pipes are constantly leaking. Your plumbing has an inlet valve for checking the water flow and, by extension, the pressure. If this valve loosens, your plumbing might experience extra pressure from too much pressure within the overhead tank. Besides a loose inlet valve, there are many other reasons for the sudden increase in water pressure.
Additionally, the overflow piping might be worn out because it can’t handle the pressure any longer. The inlet valve might also be worn out. In all these situations, you must know where the problem lies. Hence, a plumber should come for a pressure inspection plumbing service. Using their skills, experience, and tools, the professional can determine where the problem lies to ensure they can take the required steps to resolve it. The plumber will then repair the inlet valves to ensure the leaks stop. If the valve or the overflow pipe is worn out to the extent that it cannot withstand the pressure, the professional will recommend a replacement.
Check the Washer and Float Valve
The overflow pipe might also leak because of a damaged washer. A washer is normally submerged in water and gets worn out quickly. The sediments might wear it out faster, or the washer might be substandard, resulting in random wearing out. If the overflow pipe is continuously leaking, have a plumbing service provider visit your home for a further inspection as to the cause. The professional might determine that the washer is worn out or the float valve is damaged. If either is damaged, the professional will recommend a replacement. After all, washers and float valves aren’t expensive. Replacing the float valves and washers on time will prevent flooding at your home.
Like the washer breaks down, the float valve can also suffer damage. It might not appear damaged, yet it could be unable to measure the pressure applied as water runs in. Even a small hole or leak in the float valve’s ball, barely allowing water to flow every second, can result in a high-water bill. Hence, it would be best to have a plumbing service provider resolve the problem, no matter how minor it might appear.
Even if the leakage is barely noticeable and there’s no cause for alarm, you shouldn’t ignore it. You will spend a small percentage of what an increase in your water bill would be on the washer and float valve replacement. It could even be more painful if you pay for repairing moisture damage or mold remediation. Moisture, standing water, and overflows can damage tiles, walls, floorboards, and electronic and electrical fixtures.
Inspecting the Toilet Cistern
A plumbing service provider can inspect the cistern by opening the top of the toilet and checking the float and inlet valves. To ensure that the cistern doesn’t fill up again, the professional will close the inlet valve to the cistern and empty it. Although removing the valves and washers to check the various components is unnecessary, they can be removed/uninstalled if need be. When inspecting the cistern, the professional will watch for tangled or bent float valves. They will also ensure that the washer is in its correct position. If any component in the cistern is damaged, the plumber will replace it to ensure that the overflow pipe stops leaking.
Have you noticed your overflow pipes are consistently leaking? Contact us at bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of West Houston and make an appointment to have our plumbers check them out.
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