Solving The Mystery Of Wet Floors: A Plumber's Tale
If you have recently experienced wet feet or wet socks on a bare floor in your kitchen or bathroom, you know how shocking this can be. When you do not have children to blame, it is even more confounding. How did the floor get wet, and why is it a river of wet so close to cupboards and areas where there should be no water? It is time to invite a plumber into your home to investigate. He or she may find one or more of the following probable causes.
Built-in Dishwasher Leakage
When your built-in dishwasher's plumbing is hiding between the appliance and a wall, there is little opportunity for you to see where the problem is. Many times hoses split, or clamps come loose, and then water flows behind the appliance to the nearest exit, which is usually the back wall, the floor, and any other openings the water can find. Eventually, the water from a problematic dishwasher finds its way onto the kitchen floor, and you step in it, finally realizing that you have a plumbing problem.
Kitchen or Bathroom Pipes Gone Bad
Old metal pipes eventually rust out and have to be replaced with modern pipes. Unfortunately, this discovery is rarely made in the early stages of the problem. The old pipes cannot be seen because they are A) underground, B) in a crawlspace you do not visit, or C) in a basement you rarely enter.
The water from the old, damaged pipes sprays into wall spaces and continues on until it finds a flow space onto your kitchen or bathroom floor. The water will come from the base of a sink, or out through the base of the cupboards surrounding your kitchen sink. As the plumber investigates, you might have to have the whole of your kitchen or bathroom gutted to make the repairs.
The O-Ring on Your Toilet Is Shot
Finally, if you have water seepage or flow in the vicinity of your toilet, the o-ring under your toilet is shot. This is the sealing ring/gasket that prevents water from flowing out from underneath the toilet and keeps the wastewater flowing downward from the toilet into the sewer stack. The initial trails of water from the base of the toilet may go relatively unnoticed, but when you get a gush of water after flushing the toilet, then you know for certain that the o-ring is kaput.
If you're dealing with leaky pipes, leave it to the professionals! Contact AAA Home Services.