What usually causes it
- Pinhole corrosion in aging copper pipe
- Loose or failed fittings and joints
- Corroded galvanized pipe near the end of its life
- Freeze damage that split a pipe inside a wall
- High water pressure stressing the system
- A drain line that leaks only when a fixture runs
What you can safely check
- Look under sinks and around the water heater for active drips
- Check your water meter, note the reading, avoid using water for two hours, and check again — movement means a leak somewhere
- Feel carpet and check ceilings below bathrooms for damp spots
- Photograph stains when you notice them; growth over days tells you the leak is active
When to call a plumber
Call when water is actively dripping, when a stain is growing, when the meter test shows a leak you cannot find, or when you hear running water with everything off. A visible fitting drip can wait for a scheduled visit; a hidden leak cannot — it is damaging the house the whole time it runs.
The service that usually handles this: Leak Detection. We handle leaking pipe calls across White Plains and Westchester County — including White Plains, Scarsdale and Yonkers.
Questions about leaking pipe
How much damage can a slow leak do?
A surprising amount. A pinhole leak into a wall cavity can rot framing, ruin insulation and grow mold over a season, and it wastes water every hour of every day. Slow leaks are inexpensive to fix and expensive to ignore.
The stain is in one room but no pipes are visible. Where is the leak?
Water follows gravity and the path of least resistance — along a pipe, a joist, or a wire — and can appear several feet, or a whole room, away from the actual leak. That is exactly what leak detection equipment is for.