Leaky pipes are a common cause of water damage in homes in Naperville. Since most of the plumbing in our homes is hidden behind walls, it can be hard to monitor your pipes to catch leaks before they become a big problem. Here are a few things you can do to help prevent your pipes from leaking without having to tear into your drywall, and also ways to avoid water damage restoration costs.
When water pressure gets too high, it puts unnecessary stress on pipes. Pipes do not have any give, so when pressure increases too much they will burst. The water pressure going into your home should be checked and monitored regularly to ensure that it is not above 60 psi. To get a water pressure reading for your home, you can install a water pressure gauge to any outside faucet. Residential water pressure should never exceed 80 psi, but if your water pressure exceeds 60 psi for extended amounts of time, your pipes are at increased risk of bursting or springing leaks. If the water pressure going into your home is too high, you should have a water pressure valve installed to help reduce and regulate it.
In areas that you can see your pipes (under cabinets, in crawl spaces or basements, and in utility rooms) you should perform regular inspections. Pipe connections, especially under the kitchen sink around garbage disposals, are prone to leaks if they are not connected and sealed tightly. To adequately secure connections and joints, the fittings should be tight and held with plumbers tape and pipe joint compound. Joints on chrome trap assemblies rely on rubber slip joint washers to provide a tight seal, but are still prone to leaks. In order to help prevent leaks, consider putting in new slip washers every few years. Reinforce seals every few years to avoid leaks, and keep an eye on the pipes that you can see so that any leaks can be spotted and addressed quickly.
Hard water has a high mineral content. Minerals will build up inside of pipes over the years, which accelerates the rate of corrosion and can also lead to clogs and decreased flow of water through pipes. This is where a water softener comes in. Water softeners remove excess minerals from the water, which will prevent damage in your pipes from excess build up. To extend the life and structural integrity of your pipes, it is important to keep mineral build up to a minimum. Water softeners create an ion exchange between positively charged calcium and magnesium in the water and negative charged resin beads located in the softener. A salt tank is used to make brine that removes the collected minerals from the resin beads, and then flushes them out. Without the excess minerals, water will be able to flow freely and easily through pipes, preventing them from leaking.
If you have leaky pipes causing water damage in your Naperville home, call the water damage restoration professionals at GC Pro. They can handle all sizes of water damage whether from leaky pipes, appliance breaks, flooding, or any other source. They are experts at restoration, so do not hesitate to call!
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