Emergency Plumbing Services During Winter
Winter is upon us, which means that the plumbing pipes in our homes will be exposed to more frequent thermal expansion and retraction. During Winter, the pipes that transport hot water in your home will experience heavy temperature fluctuations. When hot water flows through them from the geyser to the tap, the pipes are heated accordingly. This causes the pipes to thermally expand slightly. During night-time, when nobody uses hot water, the pipes are exposed to the low temperature levels of Winter, which has the opposite effect and causes the pipes to shrink slightly.
As a result, these pipes are more susceptible to being damaged, as they are consistently exposed to high levels of heat and cold throughout the Winter. Leaks are common occurrences during Winter, which is why you need 24-hour emergency plumbing solutions. This is where we come into the picture. You never know when your pipes can spring a leak during Winter. Luckily, you do know that you have someone to call when something like this happens. You can also determine whether your pipes are leaking with these handy leak detection tips.
How Do I Know I Have a Leak?
- Damp Spots on Your Wall/Roof
One of the most common signs that one of your pipes has sprung a leak, is water accumulating around the spot of the leak. These damp spots will cause the paint on your wall to start bubbling and peeling. If there is a leaking pipe in your roof, you will clearly see when water is accumulating, as the ceiling will start to hang, discolour, or even collapse under too much water.
- Test the Water Pressure
If you have a leak, the pressure in your pipes will tell the story. When you open a tap, you will immediately realise if the water pressure and flow are different than normal. If it is lower than normally expected, chances are good that you might have a leak. Since the water will be escaping through the leak, it will notably decrease the flow rate and pressure at which water will come out of your taps.
- Hissing Pipes
Another sign of a possible leak, or any other type of damage to your pipes, is when they start “hissing” when you open a tap. This sound is created when the pressure in the pipes is not optimal, which can indicate that there might be some sort of damage.
- Increased Municipal Utilities Bill
If you see a sudden spike in your water usage in accordance to your monthly utility bill, you might be dealing with a leak in one of your pipes. You can test this by checking the readings of your water meter of your premises. First, ensure that no water will be used over a set period. Take a meter reading once you have closed all water supplies. Then, after about 2 hours, take another reading. If nobody used any water during this time and the meter has increased, you might be dealing with a leak.
Alpha Plumbing is your solution to 24-hour emergency plumbing services when you need a specialist for when something goes wrong. For more info on how we can assist you, please browse our website for details on our services.
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