How to Monitor the Water in Your Pipes

Leaks in your plumbing are a common occurrence and many of our calls here in Marietta, GA involve some manner of leak repair. The problem with leaks isn’t fixing them, but detecting them. Since many of them take place behind the walls or in similar out-of-the way locations, it could be weeks or even months before you spot the problem. In that time, the leaking water can cause a lot of damage to surrounding materials such as dry wall and furnishings. What’s to be done?

One easy step is to monitor your water a little more closely, and/or install devices that can either prevent the damage from a leak or help alleviate the conditions that result in leaks. Last week, we discussed automatic shut-off valves, which are a great stop-gap measure. You may also want to consider one of the following devices to help prevent wear on your pipes.

HOSE BIB GAUGES

A hose bib gauge is an inexpensive device (around $10 or so) available at any corer hardware store or home improvement center. It allows you to monitor the pressure in your pipes, alerting you if it’s too high (or too low for htat matter). Generally speaking, the pressure should remain somewhere between 40 psi (pounds per square inch) and 85 psi in your pipes. Any higher than that, and the strain could eventually result in a leak.

WATER SOFTENERS

Water softeners remove mineral deposits in hard water, which we get a lot of around here. Hard water isn’t harmful to you, but it can damage your pipes (it’s what causes that crusty white build-up on your faucet heads). A water softener will eliminate the hard water in your supply and lower the levels of wear and tear on your pipe.

Call Quick Action Plumbers today to install a water softener or similar device.

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