A goodnight’s sleep in your warm cozy bed on a chilly night has no alternative. Imagine you’ve slipped into your quilt, closed your eyes and are all set to dive into a peaceful slumber and all of a sudden, slowly dripping water catches your attention—your bathroom faucet is leaking again!
As per research, the irritating ‘plink plink’ of a dripping tap has kept generations of individuals awake all night! If you’re one of those, you need to look for a fix for the problem ASAP. Other than taking away a peaceful sleep, leaks are worth a lot more trouble.
Here are some dangers of unaddressed plumbing leaks:
Mold and mildew
Leaks are mold’s best friend! If you leave the leakage problem unaddressed for too long and the puddle of leaks doesn’t dry fast enough, mold and mildew are likely to invade your house. Apart from the fact that mold ruins your property, it also has far-reaching health consequences.
As cited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the presence of mold can potentially cause nasal congestion, throat irritation, coughing, and sneezing. As for the people who are extremely sensitive to mold infections, it can even cause serious health problems like chronic obstructive lung illnesses.
Even if there’s a leak outside the house—somewhere near the pipes in your backyard—mold problems can still exist. This mold then enters the house through vents, AC systems, and windows or by adhering to our shoes, clothes, and pets.
Whether it’s your faucet that’s leaking or a garden sprinkler, you need to take it seriously to keep your family safe.
Pest infestation
They say keeping the kitchen counters clean and all the food covered would stop pests from invading your house. This is quite untrue. Excessive moisture is quite equally a culprit.
Most species of ants and termites prefer wet or water-damaged wood to feed on since it’s easier to attack and chew. Wet wood is also a great source of water and helps them survive. Insects are ugly, creepy, and love feeding on damp wood. This is also one of the reasons why pest infestations gain momentum after flooding.
As per a report by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, rodents and bugs go wherever they see stagnant water. If you haven’t fixed a leak for a long time and the wooden structures near the point of leak remain wet, pests like woodlice, carpenter ants, and termites are likely to come through. Once these pests find wet spots and start chewing them, they end up making small holes in the structures. The holes then make it easy for rodents to make their way through.
If you don’t want a Christmas guest to scream when they go inside the bathroom, get your leaks fixed now!
Structural damage
Structural damage becomes more of a concern if the leaks are hidden and you start noticing visible signs when it’s too late.
If you haven’t been paying attention and the moisture content of the indoor air is high, you’d soon start seeing corroded pipes, rotten wood, and bubbling paint. Leaks can really take a toll on your house if you have wooden flooring all over the place. This process is known as warping. As water escapes from the point of the leak, it deforms wooden floors and leads to bulging.
There are pipes behind the walls too. If one of these starts leaking, the cosmetic damage to the walls becomes evident in the form of seepage. If you have expensive wallpaper or fancy wood framing, save it by getting your leaks repaired.
Pro Serve Plumbing is your go-to option for leak detection and repairs in Fort Worth! As a plumbing service, we try our best to reach out to our customers as soon as we can! Book your appointment now!
