How to Troubleshoot Water Pipes

There are several things that can go wrong with the water pipes in your home. Just because you see water dripping from a pipe or standing water under a pipe does not mean there's a major problem. It can often be a simple fix.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Know that sometimes when you see water on a pipe with a few drips falling, the water pipe may be "sweating." The difference between the air temperature and the water temperature flowing through the pipes can cause pipes to sweat. If the problem becomes persistent, you can wrap the pipes in insulation.

2. Troubleshoot water pipes by checking the plumbing line hangers when your water pipes are noisy. Excessive noise from plumbing can be due to not having the proper hangers to hold the lines in place. Hangers suspend the water lines and keep them from hanging on each other or on pipes.

3. Take a close look at older galvanized water pipes if you have these in your home. This is another thing to consider when you troubleshoot water pipes. If you see leaks around the fittings of old galvanized pipes, then it may be time to consider replacing them with copper.

4. Check the threaded fittings on both galvanized and copper water pipes if you see leaks. Make sure the fittings are connected tightly. Also make sure each fitting has pipe dope on the threads.

5. Try lowering your water pressure setting as another way to troubleshoot water pipes. If you see leaking pipes, it may be due to the water pressure in your house being set too high.