Why Do Plumbing Leaks Happen When You List Your Home With A Realtor?
In most households there are probably 2-6 people living in the home. Baths, showers, dishwashing, toilet flushing and clothes washing is all part of daily activities. Nothing out of the ordinary is happening. Water is available on demand 24/7. Most homes are connected to municipal water systems where the water pressure is constant. There is a water tower where the town’s water supply is pumped high up in a tower where the weight of the water produces the pressure we are all use to enjoying. We turn on the faucet and the water just flows out. Daily the water is turned on and off numerous times throughout the day and even during the night. Little thought is given to the entire system, unless something goes wrong.
You list your home with the Realtor, move out and perform a last check of the house to make sure all the lights are off, toilets not running and none of the faucets are dripping. After, that home sits empty day after day without any water being used. This is when the trouble starts. All the hot and cold water pipes are experiencing an unusual event, a period where they are exposed to the constant pressure from the municipal water system for an extended period. A situation that is not normal for most homes. That continuous pressure is straining all the water pipes and fittings without the relief that is experienced when the household is functioning normally. When the family is home, the water pipes only experience full water pressure for short periods of time. The older the home, the more likely a leak will develop. The week points are older pipes, fittings, valves that are part of appliances such as dish and clothes washers. Plastic supply lines to toilets, dishwashers, ice makers and clothes washer. Added up, lots of places where a leak can develop. A water leak inside a home can do a lot of damage over a week or two. Imagine 4” of water distributed throughout the inside of your home. Carpet, cabinets, hardwood flooring, doors, baseboards and furniture ruined. It’s not going to be pretty!
So what can a Homeowner do about water leaks when a home is vacant? You can have somebody stop by and check on your home or turning off the main water supply to the home is probably the easiest solution or some type of Leak Detection System that alerts you when a leak is detected. You can forget about the entire issue and just have the home insurance company deal with the flood disaster but you’ll have to live through the clean up process. The most important part is to understand your exposure to a disaster and take proactive steps to avoid it. Don't wait for a call from your Realtor telling you your house is flooded.
Have an awesome day!
Mike
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