SAN JOSE — A minor plumbing leak may be easy to ignore, but over time it can constitute a substantial waste of water. Additionally, leaky plumbing connections beneath sinks and near floors often go unnoticed, which can lead to problems like water damage and increased utility bills. To avoid this, make it a habit to routinely inspect your plumbing fixtures and pipes for leaks. Here are some areas to check:
Faucets 
Whether in the kitchen or bathroom, leaky faucets are a common source of water waste. In many cases, leaks originate from the faucet’s inner cartridges, which can be difficult to replace if ignored for long periods of time, especially if corrosion has occurred. If the faucet is leaking at the base, it can cause water damage to the wood cabinetry beneath the sink. In addition to the faucet fixture itself, leaks can spring from connections beneath the sink such as water supply lines, the p-trap and (in the case of a kitchen sink) the garbage disposal.
To preventatively detect leaks, inspect your faucet and connections every three to six months. Don’t forget to check additional water fixtures like your water purification or instant hot water units. When checking for leaks beneath the sink, use your hands to feel for moisture around plumbing connections, as touch is a much more reliable indicator than visual detection. Of course, if you see any puddles forming under the sink, that’s a dead giveaway of an ongoing leak.
Toilets 
When checking for toilet leaks, there are a few key areas to address. Check the water supply line that connects the tank fill valve to the wall shutoff valve. If this isn’t secure, water can leak out each time the toilet is flushed, which can damage the flooring, baseboards and sheetrock. To rule out any leaks, feel around the fill valve connection and then run your hand all the way down the water line to the wall valve.
Other areas to check for moisture are around the tank bolts and at the base of the toilet. If left unchecked, a leak around the base (usually caused by a wax seal failure) can cause major damage to the subfloor that may potentially require replacement.
Shower 
There are a few different areas where leaks can occur in a shower, starting with the showerhead itself. Besides being a significant waste of water, a constantly dripping showerhead can gradually damage your shower’s tile and grout. Another place where leaks can be problematic is behind the shower handle, which can result in hidden water damage behind the wall.
Hose bibs 
Most homes have two to four exterior hose bibs around the property. Since they’re located outside, it’s easy for leaks to go unnoticed, which not only wastes water but can also damage your home’s foundation over time. Hose bibs are easy to replace, so if you find any leaks, don’t delay in addressing them. 
Water main shutoff valve 
In the event of a catastrophic water leak, your home’s water main shutoff valve can be a lifesaver. That’s why it’s crucial to a) know where your water main is located so you can get to it quickly and b) periodically test it for proper functionality. A shutoff valve can freeze up if it’s not touched for several years, which can be a rude awakening in a dire situation. To avoid this, test your shutoff valve every three to six months by turning it off and on again.

Plumbing Leak Prevention

Learn key strategies to prevent plumbing leaks and save money on costly repairs. Get expert tips for maintaining your home's plumbing.

Plumbing Leak Prevention by Adam Garza

by Adam Garza, a Diamond Certified Expert Contributor

Video: Leak Detection and Prevention

one of the simplest measures you can
take to avoid a costly water bill is
routinely checking your plumbing
fixtures for leaks
today we're in San Jose with diamond
certified expert contributor adam garza
of san jose plumbing to learn more ok
today I just want to give you a few tips
on how I can save you money with your
water bill and then also help you
prevent any water damage to your home or
place of business so for example we have
the main kitchen faucet here and we also
have the insta ha and a reverse osmosis
system a lot of times if these fixtures
are leaking from the spout it is very
important to address those things sooner
than later a lot of times the cartridge
isn't inside are leaking and causing the
issue if you let them go for too long
those cartridges are very difficult to
take out due to corrosion the length of
time it's been leaking so the sooner you
address it the better off you'll be
we have the reverse osmosis system which
a lot of homes and businesses have as
well a lot of times it could be leaking
from the spout even at the base a lot of
times when sleeking at the base it can
run down underneath into the cabinet as
well causing water damage underneath but
you definitely want to avoid and same
thing with the insta hot it can leak
behind the handle run down behind here
and they've done it to the cabinet as
well and then underneath we have a lot
going on here we have a lot of things
that should be checked probably every
three to six months leaks generally
start very slowly and very gradually so
the sooner that you address these leaks
the better off you'll be there'll be
less water damage to your cabinet and to
the flooring so what I like to do is get
a light so you see everything pretty
clearly and use your hand and also feel
around a lot of times the light doesn't
catch all the moisture that's building
as you want to fill every single joint
just feeling around simply feel any
moisture and of course visually see if
you have any puddles developing
underneath any of these areas you have
the reverse osmosis tank it does always
fill the connections just filling
everything in this making sure that
everything is okay you have a garbage
disposal you want to look at the very
top as well as the bottom just filling
around again making sure that you don't
feel any moisture or any wetness and
that's pretty much it here so what we
could do is head over to the bathroom
next ok now we're looking at the toilet
and that's when I give you a few ideas
of what to look at again to help prevent
any water damage in the future so we
have here on the toilet inside is your
fill valve and off the fill valve is
this water line it's very important that
this is secure if it's not secured a lot
of times when the toilet is flushed with
water can spread everywhere behind the
tank run down caused water damage to the
subfloor to your flooring your baseboard
and the sheetrock
so it's very important to make sure this
is secure also it could possibly leak in
between the tank and the bowl so it's
very important to fill the tank bolts
make sure everything is nice and dry
again this league start very slowly and
gradually so it's very important to
adjust these issues and find them early
another thing too when the toilets flush
they can leak at the very base of the
toilet where the wax ring is it can leak
on the side the front and the back and
then lastly you can use your hand just
kind of feel around at the shutoff valve
and the water line Mitch everything
feels nice and dry and that way you can
find leaks at a time before they've
become really bad and causing in water
damage and now we're going to go look at
the shower
okay now we're looking at the shower
valve and it's very important to look at
the shower valve because it can be
looking from a few different areas the
first area is behind the handle it's
very important to see if this is leaking
if it is it could make this very
difficult to change in the future and
the state can also run inside the wall
and caused water damage that you may not
even be able to see it could also cause
this to lika as well
the main cartridge that is in there and
so if this is constantly dripping cause
damage to your grout your tile so it's
very important to address these issues
soon as possible also I've seen where in
the past when this leaks it gets sprayed
back caused water damage to your she
rock and your tile as well so it's very
important to adjust these issues as soon
as possible to prevent water damage to
your home ok next we're looking at the
water main shutoff valve it's very
important to know exactly where your
water mains off is located in case
there's an emergency with your water
heater inside the house or a fixture
that's leaking or leak inside a wall
it's very important that you know
exactly where it's at so you can get to
it quickly
and so how this particular shutoff works
it is a gate valve so it does turn
clockwise that's how you would turn it
off and it is very important about every
three to six months or so that you do
turn this whether you need to or not
just to make sure that it's burning nice
and freely just like this if you did not
touch over a couple years they can
freeze that and then you can't move it
at all and just sticks so you don't want
that see it's very important to make
sure this is always working properly
then we also have the hose bib usually a
home will have two to four maybe up to
five six hose bibs around the property
so you definitely want to check these as
well to make sure they're not leaking
underneath the handle or just running
through the hose and just wasting water
these are very easy to change out and
replace so you definitely ingest those
issues as quickly as possible to save
you money and make sure that you don't
cause any water damage to your
foundation if water is leaking out of
the hose and this constantly running so
always know your water Mashal valve and
you'll be in good shape to learn more
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Adam Garza: Plumbing Pride

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