From washing dishes used to make meals to washing our hands, the sinks in our home see frequent use. In fact, they are used several times a day – and most people take the reliability of their sinks for granted.
Of course, with the amount of use sinks get, they are being put under a fair amount of strain. As a result, leaks can occur underneath any of the sinks in a home. If this happens, the leak should never be ignored, as it can result in significant issues.
In today’s blog post, we will dive into detail on exactly why you should never ignore a leak under your sink, how to identify a leak in the first place, as well as information on some of the common causes of sink leaks.
Do not hesitate to contact us for any of your HVAC or basic plumbing needs, including repairs for a leak under the sink. Our experienced team of HVAC technicians is one phone call or email away, so don’t be afraid to reach out.
While a small leak under your sink may not seem like a major issue, it is still vital to never ignore leaks under the sinks, regardless of their size. Here are details surrounding the many reasons why:
Leaks put a fair amount of pressure on the faucet, and ignoring this issue does no one any favours. In fact, even if the leak under the sink is small, it can get worse quickly. Even waiting a day or two can worsen a sink leak by a lot – and therefore drive up the cost of repairs as well as the risk of additional damage in the home.
The longer a leak is left untreated, the worse it can get. Additionally, it also increases the risk of an emergency plumbing repair becoming necessary. For instance, imagine there is a small dripping leak under your kitchen sink one day, but the issue was put off as it was small. Then, five days later before the leak was to be fixed, the pipe suddenly bursts. This emergency repair (and the high cost of fixing it) could have been avoided if the sink leak was fixed right away.
When you are dealing with leaky pipes underneath a sink, the risk of water damage is quite high. A leak under the sink can result in growing mold and mildew, which can then make the surrounding area begin to rot because of the dampness caused by the water. The water damage may mean an entire cabinet needs to be replaced – or even more extensive replacements than that.
As has been discussed, the longer a leak under the sink is left alone, the worse it will get. As a result of this, the leak itself will take more money to fix, and there may also be damage related to the leak to fix as well. Thus, you can achieve cost savings by not ignoring leaks under the sink and having them fixed as soon as possible after you have noticed them.
Leaving a leak under the sink unfixed increases the risk of a slip hazard in your home. This can be from the water damage as well as a potential puddle of water, should one build up. While for some individuals slipping and falling may only cause a bruise, it may also result in a severe injury for others.
Another risk of ignoring a leak under the sink is mildew and mold growth. Both mold and mildew can worsen water damage in the home. However, they can also present health risks to anyone living there – the chances of health impacts increase exponentially the longer mold and mildew are left in the home.
Ignoring leaks under sinks can cause a fair amount of wasted water. After all, it is water that is leaking from the pipes underneath a sink. If a leak is left for a long time, the wasted water can do more than just affect the water bill or increase water damage. It can also increase the strain on the water supply in the area and cause issues for other homes and facilities.
The more water that is coming from a leak under the sink, the less water pressure there is in the pipes. This can mean filling up the sink takes longer, showers aren’t as pleasant, and more. It also means more energy must be used to increase the water pressure again – resulting in higher energy bills.
If you think there may be a leak under your sink, there are some simple ways you can not only identify the leak, but also begin to narrow down the potential cause.
Here are some tips on how to identify a leak under the sink:
These simple tips can help you get started on identifying sink leaks – though of course, it is not an exhaustive list. Call a licensed plumber for help identifying sink leaks accurately.
So now that the reasons to never ignore a leak under a sink have been discussed, it is time to talk about the various causes of leaks under sinks to appear in the first place.
Here are the details surrounding the most common causes of sink leaks now:
The constant turning on and off the faucets to get water can put a significant amount of pressure on them. In some cases, this can eventually cause a loose faucet to develop. This may result in water splashing around the sink and eventually leaking into the cabinet below the sink (or simply on the floor). The faucet could also be defective or otherwise compromised (such as cracking), which may cause an internal leak that would then drip below the sink. This can also happen with a bad seal connecting the faucet to the sink.
Some kitchen sinks will also have a side sprayer component to them. When this is the case, it is always pressurized when the faucet itself is on, regardless of whether the sprayer is being actively used. However, a loose or defective sprayer is another common reason for leaks under sinks. If there is one on your kitchen sink, it is worth checking along the hose and anything else connected to the sprayer for cracks or other evidence of a leak.
Every sink has some kind of caulk around it. However, caulk is not a set-and-forget type of thing in the home, as it can get brittle over time. When it does become brittle, it is also vulnerable to cracking, which can then mean if water is on or around the old caulk, the water will then leak through it and drip underneath the sink. Aside from cracks, other signs that the caulk may be responsible for a sink leak include:
Thankfully, re-caulking around the sink will likely fix the issue.
The pipes that transport the water to and from your sink will expand and contract depending on if they are dealing with cold or hot water. Eventually, this may mean that the nuts connecting the pipes can loosen. If they become too loose, this can cause a leak to develop under the sink. Checking the water supply and drain lines is an easy way to detect this issue. Thankfully, if this is the cause of the leak under a sink, tightening the nuts should fix it.
If there is a leak under your sink, it could be due to the shutoff valve. This is because it is common for O-rings and gaskets wearing out over time – in fact, some reports indicate they should be replaced every 10 to 15 years if there are no other issues present. Call a licensed plumber to inspect the shutoff valves and see if they could be the cause of the leak under your sink.
An issue with the sink drain trap can also be responsible for a leak under a sink. Similar to other causes that have already been discussed, parts that make up the sink drain trap can wear out over time. Thus, they may require resealing, replacing, or other repairs to make sure they are returned to perfect working order. However, if the specific issue cannot be identified or the specific part is difficult to obtain, replacing the whole sink drain trap can help rectify the sink leak.
Do not hesitate to contact us for any of your HVAC or basic plumbing needs, including repairs for a leak under the sink. Our experienced team of HVAC technicians is one phone call or email away, so don’t be afraid to reach out.
.png)
