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Domestic water leaks are a continual source of water waste and property damage year in and year out. To help homeowners monitor the home for hidden leaks, I am presenting a concise list of the signs of a hidden water leak for use as a reference. Thanks to American Leak Detection for presenting 7 of these signs on their web site.

These are the signs:
1) Sound of water, like a running toilet, when nothing is turned on.
2) Changes in the water meter when all faucets are turned off, and water flow to all appliances, including the water heater, is stopped.
3) Escalating water bill.
4) Moist spots, discolored areas or soft wood or material in the walls, floors or baseboard area
5) Foul odors emanating from floors or walls near a drain or sewer
6) Unexplained cracks in foundation, weed growth or moist soil around the outside of the home.
7) Warm spots on floor, especially over concrete slab floors. (sign of a slab leak)

In addition to the general signs, there are specific signs which apply to parts of the house which are particularly prone to leak. Special places to check and tests include:

1) Dishwasher – place tissue along base of dishwasher and examine for moisture
2) Cabinets – look for water damage
3) Sink –check pipes under sink
4) Toilet – water running when not in use, leaks around the base, dropping water level in cistern
5) Shower or tub – stains or soft areas on the floor
6) Washing machine – leaks around the hose ends
7) Water heater – look for rust
Basement and other areas –growth of black mold, fungus including mushrooms,
9) Dry rot = brown rot, especially basement
10) Tide line on baseboards – rising moisture
11) White salts on walls, penetrating dampness
12) Sound of underground water flow when listening through 3 foot hollow steel tube or stethoscope pressed to the floor = slab leak.
13) Basements – wall floor discoloration, fungus, dry rot, musty odor, salt deposit on walls, and cracked walls and scaly paint, high tide sign on lower walls, and rust on appliances such as boiler and water heater.

Thanks to A-1 plumbing of Baltimore for sponsoring this report. A-1 is a Baltimore plumbing company, with licensed plumbers who are trained in leak detection and water leak repair

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When your toilet won’t flush properly, it may be because you have a foreign object stuck in the drain. Before considering the list of common foreign objects, it is worth noting several other common causes of clogged toilet drains. You can start by checking if there is water in the water tank. Lift up the top and take a look. If the water is low, you can at least dump bucket water into the tank. This will provide one good flush so you can at least work around a clean bowl. Your problem might be caused by a broken toilet lever. You can test this by pushing down on the lever, and observing the action. A cracked diaphragm or siphon in the toilet water tank is another common cause of inability to flush the toilet. The siphon normally lifts up the water, at the start of the flush, initiating the flush action. If the siphon is cracked, the toilet won’t flush properly. Finally, inability to flush the toilet may be the result of low water pressure in the house. It could be that the pressure is insufficient to push enough water up to the water inflow valve.

With all that said, a clogged toilet is frequently the result of a foreign object in the drain. The numbers of foreign objects that can block a toilet drain are myriad. Some of the more common items include lady sanitary napkins and baby wipes. Whole rolls of toilets, frequently dumped in by mischievous kids can block toilets from flushing properly. Other items that kids toss into toilets include toys, a child’s comb or hairbrush. Just about any small item in a young child’s possession can end up in the toilet bowl. A 2 year old once tossed the splash shield from his potty chair down the toilet and this caused a serious blockage.

Kids are not to blame for all or most foreign objects. Adults will not infrequently place objects on the lid of the toilet water tank, or even on the toilet seat, and then accidentally knock the object down the drain. An example of one such foreign object was the powder makeup compact case that a lady had knocked down the toilet with her elbow. Finally, too much human waster can also cause toilets to clog; as one man sheepishly put it: “I completely blocked up my toilet after eating my burrito from Applebee’s.”

If your toilet is clogged, and you think it might be due to a foreign object, there are a couple of procedures you can try before calling the plumber. You can use a plunger to try and dislodge the foreign body with pressure, or you can insert a carefully straightened out coat hanger, to see if this will dislodge the foreign object.
Most foreign objects take up residence behind the ubend in the toilet drain pipe, and frequently require more extensive procedures to be dislodged.

Thanks to A-1 Plumbing of Baltimore for sponsoring this article. If you are having problems with a clogged toilet and were unable to fix the problem yourself, then call a plumber. If you live in the Greater Baltimore Area, or surrounding communities, as far south as DC, give us a call, and we will send out a radio dispatched plumber to tend to your problem.

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Toilet odors are unpleasant and especially frustrating when they come from a clean toilet. Here we present 14 causes of toilet odors, emanating from an otherwise sparkly clean toilet.

1) The water in your toilet provides a protective layer between you and foul smelling gases in your sewer lines. If the water level in your toilet drops to low, the sewer gases can escape into your bathroom.
2) Evaporation from a seldom used toilet causes the water level to drop , as above – Solution: flush regularly
3) Damaged wax sealing – if the toilet rocks or moves: Solution : Call a Plumber
4) Sewer organisms living around the rim of the toilet Solution: Pour several cups of bleach into the overflow pipe in your toile water tank.
5) Clogged bathroom vent, can be caused by bird’s nest, or frost forming on the
inside of the vent wall. Solution: Vent needs to be snaked from the room, best
to call a professional
6) [spin] Another cause of low toilet water level is a crack in the bowl. Water will seap through the crack into the drain, allowing sewer gas to escape
7) Egg odor – If you have well water, an egg odor may be caused by phosphorus and iron. Solution: 2000 flushes bleach tablet or auto scenter
Foul water odor – If you have well water there might be hydrogen sulfide in the water. Solution: Try water softener
9) Egg smell – If you have well water it might be caused by sulfer in your water:
Solution: get your water checked for minerals,
10) Dirty pipes or pipes full of gases – If you have ruled out other causes of the smell, the foul odor may be emanating from your pipes. Solution: Call the plumber
11) A smell emanating from your toilet may be a sign that sewages is backing up in your main line. If yiou suspect this is the cause of your problem yo should cll a plumber right away.
12) Septic system backup – if your house runs on a septic system Solution: Call the plumber
13) Mold smell – This smell might be coming from mold that has taken up residence around the toilet rim. Solution: Turn off the water supply valve under the toilet. Flush to drain water. Spray with anti mold cleaner, inside under the rim.
Let the toilet sit for awhile. Then fill with water and add bleech to the water tank, as above.
14) One source of bathroom odor not coming from the toilet is a dead animal. Small rodents, especially after poisoning by rodenticide may be found in your bathroom. If you’ve gone through this entire list, and you can’t figure out what is causing your toilet odors toilet smells call a plumber. If you’re located in and around the Baltimore area, call A-1 Plumbing of Baltimore. We have %LINK2& who are trained in detecting the source of toilet odors. We will be happy to assist you.

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