Homeowners worry about water damage from plumbing leaks
50 posts across 6 communities in the last 30 days; 88% from r/Plumbing.
“Is this a problem? It looks like a problem. Is it a big problem or a small problem? A soon problem, or a really soon problem? 120 year old house. I kinda suspect that the shut off ain't in prime shape. I couldn't move it. Looks like they opened the floor at some point before i…”
“Pretty shot out, basement? [re: How big of a problem is this basement drain?]”
“Good job nothing like the feeling of fixing your own stuff. [re: Just bought a new house. Can't get the shower on.]”
Multiple posts describe homeowners discovering or fearing significant water damage resulting from apparent plumbing leaks. The severity of the damage is a recurring concern, prompting worries about repair costs and potential structural issues.
SOURCES (60)
“Title says it all please help me know if it's mold or damage or smth else... Guys I just got here I've never done a lick of plumbing before when it comes to water and electricity I just assume if my mom doens't notice anything…”
“Not bad enough for me to notice apparently lol! , I bet once I get this p trap though Ill notice the difference [re: Upstairs shower leak]”
“Do you think that’ll be enough to prevent water damage? [re: 23 year old hot water heater? One plumber says to replace the other says not to.]”
“Is it okay if there’s a hole in the door of my water heater submitted by /u/brodes47598 [link] [comments]”
“Is this a problem? It looks like a problem. Is it a big problem or a small problem? A soon problem, or a really soon problem? 120 year old house. I kinda suspect that the shut off ain't in prime shape. I couldn't move it. Looks like they opened the floor at some point before i owned the place. submitted by /u/kokigami [link] [comments]”
“Yeah if he didnt trap it I highly doubt hes a plumber and that they would want him back tbh. [re: Upstairs shower leak]”
“Thank you! Gonna open the wall a bit and take a look. Thanks for all your help [re: What the heck is leaking?]”
“If OP can see the pipes he wants to replace then replacing them is an easy job that he can complete for less than dinner out for two. He says he owns the home. [re: What the heck is leaking?]”
“There's purple stuff leaking out u might want to call a plumber [re: How does this crawlspace plumbing look?]”
“It’s is pretty steady drip. Thanks for the comment. Luckily the builder has the plumbing company doing some work in the neighborhood today so they will stop by and take a look at some point [re: Is this normal or excessive?]”
“Thanks for the comment. Luckily the builder has the plumbing company doing some work in the neighborhood today so they will stop by and take a look at some point today. [re: Is this normal or excessive?]”
“Good job nothing like the feeling of fixing your own stuff. [re: Just bought a new house. Can't get the shower on.]”
“The beam is the thing, everyone always fixates on the sewer because the sewer has a dollar figure attached and a camera video that looks scary. Fanning and unsecured means someone cut into it or it was never strapped properly, and your inspector saying "not immediate" means nothing, inspectors are not engineers and they hedge on anything structural so they dont get sued. Pay an actual structural engineer a few hundred bucks, thats the only opinion worth having here. The sewer is a know”
“Two more than what? You never mentioned the first alarming issues, so there's no way to know if this is a third and fourth problem or the same stuff worsening.”
“Yeah the two seem pretty concerning or potentially concerning to me. I know the agent would probably push to get credits or cost reduction to maintain timelines vs extending them to get an engineer in, but I am worried both are big issues after closing.”
“The mechanical vent is a bit older style but, it's all code & fine if working well without leaks. No concerns”
“The ceiling is dripping and the water is coming down from aa light holder, I am still surprised how the power hasn't yet tripped. I know there is a shower right above that light fixture. Any ideas what could have caused this. Already called a plumber. Waiting for them to arrive first thing in the morning. submitted by /u/OnlyAdministration69 [link] [comments]”
“So this is a 50's home in Michigan with a corroded 3" main coming out of a concrete wall (I believe from a garage floor corner pipe that's capped), then going under the basement floor. Most of it was previously repaired with PVC, but now the rest of it looks like this. I'm reasonably sure it's no longer an active drain or vent, so is this something that could just be cut out and capped off? There is a 4" main a few feet away this is being used. Other options I should ex”
“Don't know if I'm missing something , but I think that WH is missing it's drip pan and seismic strapping.”
“Hi, I live in a building, and the downstairs neighbor has a leakage, and the building handyman decided that it is coming from our bathroom, and they are coming to open the wall there this Monday. How can I prepare my home so not everything will be covered with dust, and how can I make cleaning after easier? I already put the majority of things in boxes. What else should I do? And what is the best tip for cleaning after the work is done? This is my first time having a handyman come and do any con”
How bad is it ? submitted by /u/Ambitious_Bus2484 [link] [comments]
“Just try to get them to at bare minimum come take a look under warranty. If they do make sure you watch what they do”
“I agree. The guy I spoke to seems very sure of the cause based on one photo. It wasn’t explained to me very well too, hence why I am asking for second opinion here.”
“I am unsure if this (see image) looks good for plumbing. It services the sink, washing machine, dishwasher and an outdoor tap. No issues with any that i can see, yet. We have had many issues with the kitchen company - the kitchen has now been installed. I came across the plumbing photo that my partner took before units went in, i did not know it looked like this. Instinct tells me this is strange - so many plastic push fits being used at so many elbow joints with copper pipes? Considering puttin”
“You’re shitting us, right? You have better things to do than fix an active leak and potentially prevent your entire ceiling from collapsing? Surely you troll…”
“Put dye in the sump water. If the dye never clears then it's coming from sump cycling water (leaking somewhere). I know you ruled this out, but at least this will confirm it for sure. Dye is really useful for tracing leaks, but I don't have an answer for how to insert it into your main water supply.”
“https://preview.redd.it/106q319jo2sh1.png?width=3725&format=png&auto=webp&s=4076ab7a84afc0806e61d73f4cc5dd0f9814c296 So; I've been dealing with this ALL LAST WEEK and I just...need somewhere to vent because we still don't have any running water + I haven't been able to shower for a solid week. Regardless - Day 1: Noticed the leak, called emergency maintenance . Noticed running water down my apartment walls and mold and soft spot in ceiling. A weird smell [damp/mold] in th”
“These are reasons I always turn off the water supply to my toilets any time the family is away from the house for an extended time.”
“So, I had this leaky faucet. It was dripping water, but I got that fixed. Now, though, where the water used to drip, it's stained and a different color. Plus, it feels rough when you touch it. Any ideas on how to get my tub looking good as new again? Thanks! submitted by /u/Potatopotayto [link] [comments]”
“TL;DR: Yes. Emphatically, in fact Not a plumber, but work in an adjacent field dealing with piping. Leaking behind the wall means that the primary connection to the drain stack or main drain line is likely busted. You'd almost certainly have to open the wall remove and replace that then, to do it porpperly redo all the plumbing to the trap. Thats likely more than the standard DIYer is ready for especially considering that with this much damage who knows what condition further piping behind t”
Finally done. Got the pipes in first and yesterday tried them. No leaks. Put dishwasher in a rinse cycle. Sure enough a leak in the drain hose! Fixed it. Party time! Iu…
Broken pipe. It’s too clean and consistent to be anything else.
“That seems to be a awful lot of water coming from that weeping tile, something it’s definitely wrong”
“There is clearly a massive leak in the discharge pipe. That is alot of water constantly pouring in. I pray you have a battery backup!’nnnn”
“If the tank itself is leaking rather than a fitting or valve, that's usually the point where replacement enters the chat.”
“It's the face of the union that makes the seal, not the union nut it's only job is to pull the two faces together. Dope getting on the face may make a seal that will degrade over time. Personally I use 2-3 wraps of teflon on the union nut as a lubricant to increase the clamping force I can get out of the union.”
“Any advice would be insanely appreciated I feel like a giant dumbass. I am hoping to be able to fix it myself but if I need to I will get help. My brother was going to fix it but procrastinated so I did it but I wish I would have left things alone. I think I was too violent when unscrewing the thingy and it somehow scratched a hole in the back part??? I have no idea. 😭😭😭😭 UPDATE: IT WAS A CRINK IN THE FUCKING HOSE. Thank you guys SO much for all of your advice and I am so fucking thankful it”
“I like 3 shut offs. 1 in the street, 1 under the house (if a break a line rummaging around I can shit it off in my crawl space) 1 near the water heater.”
“Yep - the brass unions are pretty good - I hate the copper unions though - they’re such a pain in the ass to get sealed up”
“Surprisingly this was not the source of the leak, perhaps the 12 wraps of teflon actually worked”
“Opened the ceiling in one of my buildings due to a leak from a different bad connection and found this. Installer was “licensed” and charging over a dollar per minute submitted by /u/hakuna_muffuga [link] [comments]”