Water Leak Checklist

Inspection Checklist

As a home or property owner, it is important for you to have a maintenance checklist to inspect for water leaks that can cause extensive damage to a building in a small amount of time. A tiny drip that you find today on a water pipe or hose can turn into a gusher that floods a building causing problems that cost thousands of dollars to repair. Because most of us are extremely busy with work and family, creating a written checklist of the items to inspect on the interior and exterior of a building makes the process faster and more accurate. After creating a list, you can make multiple copies on a printer or copy machine to use once a month during the inspection process.

Touch Pipes

I begin the inspection in my home by looking at fixtures in the laundry room, kitchen and bathrooms. These areas get the most use in my home, leading to having frequent leaks as components wear out. First, I look under the sinks by opening cabinets and using a flashlight to look for moisture on surfaces. I touch the water pipes to find water drips or corrosion that indicates the devices require replacing. Next, I check around toilets for moisture by touching the tile or rugs. With the aid of a flashlight, it is easy to see if toilet tanks have cracks or if drywall has water spots. In addition, I check the ceiling beneath the devices by shining the flashlight in utility closets to see if a bathtub or toilet is leaking.

Check Hoses

Appliances can also have slow leaks that are not noticeable behind the devices. I check the water hoses on my dishwasher and washing machine to determine if there are drips. Occasionally, hoses split or metal connectors corrode, leading to tiny drops of water collecting on the floor. Most home and property owners can easily buy new hoses at hardware stores to replace the items. This is easy to do by using a bucket to collect the water in the hoses after turning off a water valve near the appliance. You place the new hoses on the appliances before turning the water valve back on, and it is repaired. The water hoses attached to a refrigerator’s ice machine can also develop leaks. Contacting a professional water damage restoration company for this repair task is often necessary.

Water Heaters

Water heaters last many years, but a leaking one can cause a lot of damage and lead to mold. My water heater is inside a dark utility room, making it difficult to inspect. I make sure to have my flashlight to look at the valves, pipes and metal canister for rust and moisture that indicates it requires repair or replacement. I never turn off my gas water heater during an inspection because it is difficult to light, but I am extremely careful while looking at its components. Outside my home, I look at the exterior faucets for water leaks that could enter the foundation to cause damage.