Leak Repair in Barrie, 24/7

Where household leaks usually start

Many leaks in a house start at a joint or a fixture. These are the places we check first:

• Under sinks: the supply lines to the faucet, the shut-off valves and the drain trap.
• Toilets: the wax ring at the floor, the supply line and the tank bolts. A toilet that leaks at the base when you flush may have a failed wax ring or flange, or a leak between the tank and the bowl.
• Showers and tubs: the valve behind the wall, the drain, and the seal around the tub or the shower base.
• Laundry: the washer hoses, the laundry tub drain and the box the hoses connect to.
• Outside faucets: a hose bib that froze and split inside the wall can leak only when the tap is open.
• The water heater, the softener and the main shut-off: the fittings and valves around equipment in the basement.

Signs of a hidden leak

A leak inside a wall or under a floor can run for weeks before you see water. Look for:

• A water bill higher than usual with no change in how you use water.
• A stain, a bubble or soft drywall on a ceiling under a bathroom.
• A musty smell in one room or one cupboard.
• Warped flooring or loose tiles near a tub, a shower or a toilet.
• The water meter still moving when every tap in the house is off.

The meter test is a simple first check. Turn off every tap and appliance that uses water, including a softener or an ice maker, then watch the meter dial for ten minutes. If it moves, water is going somewhere. A very slow leak may not show in ten minutes. For that, read the meter, use no water for two hours, and read it again. A leak that only happens when a fixture is in use will not show on the meter test at all.

How we find and fix a leak

The stain is often not where the leak is. Water runs along a pipe or a joist and drips from the lowest point. We trace it back to the source first. Our reviews mention this: “Had a leak from the laundry room that was waterfalling in my basement, other plumbers missed it but he found the source and it was in the most unlikely place.”

Then we repair or replace the failed part: a fitting, a valve, a supply line, a section of pipe, a wax ring or a drain seal. We explain what we found before we start. If the leak is on old Kitec pipe, the lasting fix is often to replace that pipe; see our Kitec pipe replacement page.

When a leak is an emergency

Water pouring from a pipe, water through a ceiling, or a leak you cannot stop with a shut-off valve needs help now. If you can reach it safely, shut off the main water valve. Stay out from under a wet or sagging ceiling and away from wet light fixtures and outlets. Then call an emergency plumber in Barrie. We are open 24 hours.

For a slow drip from a fitting you can see, that a bucket can catch, that is well away from anything electrical and is not coming through a ceiling, close the small valve that feeds it if there is one. Then use our contact page and we will book a time.