Homeowners cannot identify the source of a plumbing leak
Numerous posts detail homeowners facing a range of plumbing problems, from toilet leaks and tankless water heater flushing difficulties to gas stove smells and cast iron pipe breaks. Many are seeking advice on repairs or replacements, highlighting frustration with aging infrastructure and unexpected maintenance needs.
SOURCES (60)
“The toilet in one of our hall bathroom runs several times per hour on its own, which to me suggested a leaky flapper. The master bathroom backs up to it and shares the same plumbing. Sometimes I run the sink, or flush the toilet in…”
“Put a balloon in where it exits the house and fill the system with water. It should hold 10 foot-head.”
“Depends. Many places the water meter is at the main in the curb. Everything after the meter is the owner’s responsibility. Everything before (water source to meter) is city/county’s responsibility. so a water leak in the yard is owner’s responsibility if the meter is in the yard not the house.”
“So, my dad is DIYing a new vanity in the bathroom. This evening we found a puddle of water between the vanity and toilet. Yesterday, he was sitting on the toilet "supervising" me and he did twist his body (mobility issues) and the toilet lid popped off. I put it back, no issue. So upon finding said puddle, I toweled it up. I used a flashlight and checked the connections under the sink for moisture (none), ran the water in the sink, observed, no drops. Also the vanity in the cupboard is”
“Why are people saying to base it on my home's water pressure minus a few psi? My home has 50+ psi.”
“The toilet in photos 4 and 5 needs to have its fill valve adjusted. It’s overfilling.”
“Its most likely a slow leak due to the rubber flapper (the blue thing) not forming a proper seal causing water to slowly drain. This will usually get worse over time and eventually you'll hear the toilet flushing itself because the water level gets too low and it will fill itself back up. It can happen because the seals are just crap in the first place, or if your municipal supply has a high chlorine content and/or you add bleach tablets directly to the back of your tank. If its not the flap”
You really should have a vent in between the shower and the toilet
“I didn't even realize water softeners were a thing that ran overnight, that would definitely explain the spikes while still having low daytime usage.”
“The register could be frozen. We use badger and those are notorious for going bad.”
“Problem started a few days ago leak has not increased just leaking small amounts while the water in the sinn takes a long time to drain. What can I do?? submitted by /u/Moshmochii [link] [comments]”
“you need somebody with a camera to follow that inlet and find out where the water is coming from.”
“Hi, I'm hoping people can give us suggestions for next steps. I'll try to be succinct, but thorough: Our basement pipes started knocking yesterday * when 2+ water sources are on *. (History: they have knocked on occasion, resolved with running all faucets to get out air, nothing as extreme as this before; our county does a lot of work on the pipe infrastructure.) We tested the pressure, and it read at 70 psi. We turned off the main, drained all the water from all faucets etc until nothin”
“My water bill shot up. And I believe it’s because my toilets are leaking. Well I completely replaced everything here. And I still hear this water run from time to time even though nobody has used the toilet. What’s causing this ? submitted by /u/YoungHunchoACE [link] [comments]”
“Hello plumbers of Reddit, I currently have an issue with my toilet which I'm afraid will cause real problems if I don't get it fixed soon. I don't think this is a simple water hammer issue that can be fixed by for example replacing the fill valve in my toilet, but I'd like to turn to you for help since I have close to no knowledge about this type of stuff. Due to financial reasons I'd like to avoid hiring a professional until it's absolutely necessary. I really hope you g”
Put in a check valve, if that don’t work look for some kind of leak
“Hiya all! I hope someone can give some advice. Just over a year ago after getting really ill, family amazingly chipped in to help us get a new shower room and bathroom installed as well as new pipework for the house. Family sorted out everything, they'd had the installers do some work for them previously and we're happy so arranged for them to help us. It's an old 1890s quirky house, quite narrow, over three levels. The ground floor has a small kitchen. The middle floor has the newly”
“We have two bathrooms on our second floor that are back to back (master and hallway). There is also a toilet upstairs on the third floor if that matters. The one in the hallway rarely gets used (maybe once a week or longer) but the other gets used daily(Master). A couple of days ago we flushed the one in the hallway that rarely gets used and it not only backed up but overflowed all over the floor. No one had used it in quite a while (weeks maybe) and what came flowing out was the corn chowder fr”
Got a good, correctly installed and functioning check valve installed?
“There's a leak under my kitchen sink when draining a full basin or running the dishwasher. I've had a number of unexpected expenses lately and I'd like to fix this myself rather than hiring someone. However, I remember replacing some or all of this p-trap before and it was an unexpected PITA. Could someone walk me through exactly what parts I'm gonna need to buy and how to replace them? submitted by /u/Bbect [link] [comments]”
“Called a plumber yesterday to deal with a small leak coming from a fitting connecting some old galvanized pipe and newer copper pipe. My house was built in 1936 so we've got old pipe all over the place. Plumber notices I do not have a Pressure-Reducing Valve. He measures the PSI coming from an exterior spigot and gets 150 PSI. In Maryland, you're apparently required to have a Pressure-Reducing Valve if the incoming municipal water pressure exceeds 80 PSI. He says he can't complete th”
I got a call from my city utilities of simular issue... come to find out it was a flapper in one of our bathrooms, not enough to make a noise, but enough…
“So yea either a bad meter or like MaintenanceHot3241 said it could be a toilet leaking and refilling”
“Add food coloring to your toilet tanks and wait 10 minutes. If that coloring is in the bowl your flappers need replacing. 99% of the time it's a toilet that leaks and refills all day and night. Easy fix once you identify it.”
“Our water company called us and told us we have a 31gallon an hour leak. They said it has been happening since August. We have looked everywhere. Zero water in the house or yard. No rushing water sounds. After making sure faucets and things weren't on, we checked the water meter and got these numbers. If im reading it correctly it looks like 0.0 GallonsPerMinute so no leak? We are first time home owners and have only been here 4 months so totally lost on what to do. submitted by”
“No problem. That's standard practice for PE plumbing companies. Search for a plumber on google maps. Look for a company that doesn't advertise, doesn't have brightly colored vans, and is willing to give you an estimate over the phone or offers an hourly rate, rather than a flat rate.”
“If he’s going to fix / pay for it when it does clog up let it be . If he can’t afford /fix it tell him to stop .”
“Check the toilet wax ring. If the toilet wiggles even a little bit, it can break the seal and leak gas without leaking water. Failed air admittance valves (AAVs) under sinks or dry floor drains in the basement are super common culprits too.”
“Call a plumber, this is a main line clog, nothing any kind of hand snake is going to be able to clear. Or you can rent a big drain machine at home depot if you feel up to it.”
“That hissing with a full tank that's not actually filling is almost always the fill valve (ballcock). It's got a worn diaphragm or valve seat and isn't sealing fully, so water's trickling through it inside the tank even though the float thinks it's satisfied. Sometimes it's actually going out through the overflow tube slowly, which sounds identical. Pop the tank lid and watch the fill valve for a minute. If you see even a thin stream feeding into the overflow tube, that c”
“Check to see if the leak is coming from the T&P valve. That should be an inexpensive repair. Be wary of the up-sell. Then shut off the water.”
“Here is a video of what's going on. I am totally ignorant of plumbing but I'll be a hero to a good person if I can fix this for free. What do I need to do? Assuming the fix is easy enough to explain in a short post. Thanks! submitted by /u/agnostic_reflex [link] [comments]”
It’s a gas unit. submitted by /u/Telekineticshade [link] [comments]
“Hey all, Hoping for a miracle because I can't afford a plumber. I have had a clog in my toilet for the last two weeks. When I flush the bowl fills up and will drain slowly over the course of a couple hours. I tried green gobbler and it did dissolve the left over toilet paper that was in the bowl, it hasn't sped anything up. I bought a plastic plunger, I think it's called a beehive(?) I can't seem to get any traction or power behind it. Should I just get a normal rubber one? I do”
Im curious if youd have any ideas for a solution that wouldnt require electricity, I dont think id be able to over come 500ft of distance but if it's shorter I wonder…
“It’s more likely the connection of the top and it’s just running down the hose, presenting itself at the bottom… Easy way to find out is get some boards put them into the bottom of your cabinet so you can lay down comfortably on your back and slide up in there and have somebody run the water while you’re under there put your hands up on the hose at the very top or around the connection at the base of the faucet that is at the base of the faucet under the sink so you’re under the sink while this”
“If it’s one of the major brands, (Delta, Moen, Kohler, Price Pfister, etc), it may be covered by warranty. Call their support number and they usually help you troubleshoot.”
“Hose life is directly related to how often you pull out the sprayer head. The leak is either from the hose or the connection to the faucet. Contact the faucet manufacturer for a replacement or buy a new faucet”
“Although it's not possible to tell from the pic, these hoses typically leak from the connection at the faucet head or the under sink connection to the faucet body, and then drip down the length of the hose. Sometimes it just a washer or tightening issue that can be easily remedied.”
“Hey everyone! Was wondering if you all could help. I’m not a plumber so please go easy on me as I don’t know the proper terminology or schematics for plumbing. I have my toilets bubbling when I flush either toilet. I inspected 100ft of the sewer and didn’t find any blockage and the sewage doesn’t seem to backup everything is flowing. I don’t have a longer camera or I would go further. I also sent the camera down the vent from the roof and didn’t see anything blocking but there is some standing w”
“Hey everyone. Hope someone can help me out with this because my toilet knowledge is minimal. My toilet on the first flush if it has been left alone for a while has flushes at a very slow rate and I guess leaves leftovers. If I wait a couple minutes and flush again it’s a normal flush. Not a big deal, but I would prefer not waiting. Any suggestions? submitted by /u/TimeRefrigerator730 [link] [comments]”
“Sigh. Yes. It was pretty emergency-feeling. And to be more accurate, my boyfriend snaked it, and he did not look to see if the flapper was doing anything unusual. Trying to investigate the cause now after the fact is a little frustrating.”
“Two evenings ago, my roommate used the toilet and clogged it. Then yesterday morning, he tried to use it again and it overflowed. Apparently the water was continuously overflowing, not just an initial overflow. It seemingly continued to do so all day. I came home last night to a flooded basement. I snaked the toilet and it seems to be working fine now. I’m trying to figure out what would cause a clogged toilet to keep overflowing all day. I dealt with the clog, but if there’s a bigger problem, I”
“It’s 30 inches deep at the tank and where the toilet sit that lip is about 6 inches deep. I think I got it, the old pump had a piggy tail float while the new one is fixed. So it needs a higher level of water to pump which in turn is causing the toilet to fill. As soon as the level hits it goes. Need to get a piggy tail float pump. If you have a different idea please share.”
“You may be overestimating the average homeowners handiness. Many don’t even know where their water main is.”
“Backstory: house was built in 2022. Finished basement with full bath, and I’ve never had a basement before, let alone a toilet down there. Looks like we have a single vent on roof. Half bath on first floor, 2 full baths and laundry on second floor. Basement toilet flushes fine with no issues, refills and then settles after a small initial dip. On windy days, or when an upstairs toilet/shower happens, I'll see some moving back and forth of the water level, but nothing major (no gurgling, bubb”
“I'm not sure what that is, hopefully someone will know, but I would recommend finding a whole house shut off valve and, if you have the pipe and ability, cutting that off and installing a modern shut-off. It looks potentially corroded and I would be hesitant to do anything with it even if it is a shut off.”
“For many months now I’ve noticed that the bottom(front floor part) of my son’s(8) toilet sometimes has brownish gunk. I have always thought it was due to him not aiming properly as sometimes I saw the marks from lid to floor. Last night I was cleaning his toilet and saw the gunk again when I had cleaned it just a few days ago. I pressed some tissue against it and it was ever so slightly damp. I panicked and tried to diagnose it myself and in doing so found that one side had a pretty loose nut so”
“What is going on here! Civilian here hoping it’s a quick fix! submitted by /u/tandrosonali8 [link] [comments]”
“Just wanted to share my experience so nobody else makes the same mistake! When I was 19, my father and I replaced the water heater ourselves. Unfortunately, everything that could go wrong, went wrong. The first problem was getting the water heater. The supply house in town refused to sell gas products to unlicensed individuals, so we went to Home Depot and picked up a tank. We got it home and prepared for the installation... where we hit our first hurdle. The shut-off valve for the water heater”
“One toilet has a really weak flush. I have matched the adjustments to the other toilets. Replaced the flapper and fill valve. Water fills up quickly. Is it a venting issue? If so how to confirm and fix? submitted by /u/viperspm [link] [comments]”
“We purchased our first house end of last year so we are still newbies and learning a lot. In February we noticed our main floor powder bathroom was dripping water into the basement when we flushed the toilet. We had a plumber come to our house and said the issue was a gasket that needed to be replaced, he completed the work. Fast forward and I notice the toilet is leaking again.. it seems it has been for a little while, in the exact same spot. Which leaves me frustrated and worried this could be”
“Ballcock, not ball & cock. I had it wrong. It's the float valve. I wrote a whole explanation and then when I added a photo, somehow my entire reply was erased so instead you get what AI told me: The two words were combined because the ball directly controls the cock (valve): As the water level drops, the floating ball sinks down.This downward movement pulls a lever that opens the cock (valve) to let new water in. As the tank fills, the ball rises back up and shuts the cock to stop the wa”
“Hey team, new homeowner here. TIA for help. The circled part of this image (the fill valve?) has a tiny spout that extends to the side. When we flush this toilet, water shoots out of that spout at high pressure. Based on the volume and pressure of the water coming out of there, it leaks out of the top of the tank and pours onto the floor. What is going on here? bonus credit: why is there a brick in the toilet? the inspector didn’t say anything about it… I assume is to weigh down the tank because”