Mix Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 I think I have a hot water leak. There was a water leak in my bathroom, coming form the baseboard, not the toilet. Also, my laundry room floor is very warm. I turned off the hot water valve on the water heater to stop the leak. Is this right? Internets said so... Plumber's coming tomorrow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NaBarney Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 I would turn off water to your house altogether Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phillies Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 When that happens I just put my feet up on the couch and watch the water rise. Eventually the beings upstairs solve the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mix Posted October 18, 2018 Author Share Posted October 18, 2018 @Rogue߷Alphonse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mix Posted October 18, 2018 Author Share Posted October 18, 2018 1 minute ago, Nabloom said: I would turn off water to your house altogether I'm considering that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molarbear Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 2 hours ago, Mix said: I think I have a hot water leak. There was a water leak in my bathroom, coming form the baseboard, not the toilet. Also, my laundry room floor is very warm. I turned off the hot water valve on the water heater to stop the leak. Is this right? Internets said so... Plumber's coming tomorrow that means cold showers something we were literally discussing days ago..... Dude don't freak out but we may have super powers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mix Posted October 19, 2018 Author Share Posted October 19, 2018 27 minutes ago, molarbear said: that means cold showers something we were literally discussing days ago..... Dude don't freak out but we may have super powers motherfucker, when the shit hit the fan, I legit thought you cursed me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midnight Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 I'd turn the water off altogether. Turning off the hot water heater is just turning off hot water. If it's leaking around the base boards, it sounds like you've got a busted pipe in the walls. I'd shut it all off. Fill up the tub with water for flushing the toilet, and bottle some up. Then shut it off. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molarbear Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 2 hours ago, Mix said: motherfucker, when the shit hit the fan, I legit thought you cursed me... What if it's like that one ninja movie where the kid's Game Gear is how he fought people except it's tweets and not a Game Gear I had something going for this comment and got distracted and lost it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StarPanda Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 Move out get a new house/apartment Easy fix 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wacky1980 Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 12 hours ago, midnight said: I'd turn the water off altogether. Turning off the hot water heater is just turning off hot water. If it's leaking around the base boards, it sounds like you've got a busted pipe in the walls. I'd shut it all off. Fill up the tub with water for flushing the toilet, and bottle some up. Then shut it off. this guy's had a leak before. op, if you turned off the water at the water heater and the leak stopped, it's pretty safe to assume the leak is in a hot water supply line, probably somewhere in that particular wall. but it could be from the next floor up as well, if there's a bathroom or something up there. if the leak didn't stop when you turned off the water heater, then it's either a cold supply line or the main coming into the house. if you can get by without using water for now, turn off the water at the main, or have the city turn you off at the meter (if they'll do it for free). don't fuck around with water leaks. they ruin shit quick. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nameraka Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 Yes and no are really kind of arbitrary and relative. Instead, let's talk about how this makes you feel... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mini_ghost420 Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 Plumber's coming tomorrow? wait till tomorrow and ask him. I sure as fuck don't know Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mix Posted October 19, 2018 Author Share Posted October 19, 2018 15 hours ago, midnight said: I'd turn the water off altogether. Turning off the hot water heater is just turning off hot water. If it's leaking around the base boards, it sounds like you've got a busted pipe in the walls. I'd shut it all off. Fill up the tub with water for flushing the toilet, and bottle some up. Then shut it off. This is what I ended up doing. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midnight Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 Just now, Mix said: This is what I ended up doing. Keep us posted on what the plumber tells you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mix Posted October 19, 2018 Author Share Posted October 19, 2018 12 hours ago, molarbear said: What if it's like that one ninja movie where the kid's Game Gear is how he fought people except it's tweets and not a Game Gear I had something going for this comment and got distracted and lost it... Your tweets are your death note...except instead of killing people you inconvenience them... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mix Posted October 19, 2018 Author Share Posted October 19, 2018 (edited) 3 hours ago, wacky1980 said: this guy's had a leak before. op, if you turned off the water at the water heater and the leak stopped, it's pretty safe to assume the leak is in a hot water supply line, probably somewhere in that particular wall. but it could be from the next floor up as well, if there's a bathroom or something up there. if the leak didn't stop when you turned off the water heater, then it's either a cold supply line or the main coming into the house. if you can get by without using water for now, turn off the water at the main, or have the city turn you off at the meter (if they'll do it for free). don't fuck around with water leaks. they ruin shit quick. I turned off the hot water and the meter was still running, so I turned it all off.... Edited October 19, 2018 by Mix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Owl Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 ...might want to get stronger pipes installed and maybe some insulation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mix Posted October 19, 2018 Author Share Posted October 19, 2018 (edited) 25 minutes ago, midnight said: Keep us posted on what the plumber tells you. Was a weird situation...the company I called sent a guy over to do an assessment and he did nothing but listen to what I told him concerning the leak and started talking about insurance and deductibles....then he left as a second guy arrived, the actual plumber, to tell me that he wanted to tear out a wall wear he thinks the leak might be and if it's there he'll fix it and only charge me for the repair, but if it's not there, he'll charge me for checking/tearing out my wall....then he said a third guy would come with a leak detection device to try and figure out where the leak might me... so i'm not exactly confident in what has happened so far....I'm gonna call another place to get a second opinion... Edited October 19, 2018 by Mix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wacky1980 Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 do you rent or own? if you rent, then none of the cost should be your concern. if you own, you can take the wall out yourself, rather than letting the plumber charge you for it. just cut out some drywall near the ground where you see the leak coming through. if you find a pipe or dripping water, follow it up until you find the leak. or get one of those scope cameras you plug right into your phone, and stuff it through a small hole in the wall to look around. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mix Posted October 19, 2018 Author Share Posted October 19, 2018 17 minutes ago, wacky1980 said: do you rent or own? if you rent, then none of the cost should be your concern. if you own, you can take the wall out yourself, rather than letting the plumber charge you for it. just cut out some drywall near the ground where you see the leak coming through. if you find a pipe or dripping water, follow it up until you find the leak. or get one of those scope cameras you plug right into your phone, and stuff it through a small hole in the wall to look around. I usually do all the work on my bikes and to a lesser extent my car....I don't consider myself handy, but you can learn a lot online...everything i've been looking up concerning this plumbing leak issue makes me think I shouldn't attempt anything on my own outside of turning off the water....plumbing seems dicey, as far as DIY goes.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoobdog Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 You should probably just hire the leak detection company directly. That's what I do whenever I deal with a wall or slab leak. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wacky1980 Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 5 minutes ago, Mix said: I usually do all the work on my bikes and to a lesser extent my car....I don't consider myself handy, but you can learn a lot online...everything i've been looking up concerning this plumbing leak issue makes me think I shouldn't attempt anything on my own outside of turning off the water....plumbing seems dicey, as far as DIY goes.... i wouldn't do the actual plumbing work myself unless it was an easy fix, but there's nothing wrong with doing a bit of exploring if you're comfortable with it. if you're not comfortable with it, then by all means hire a pro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mix Posted October 19, 2018 Author Share Posted October 19, 2018 25 minutes ago, scoobdog said: You should probably just hire the leak detection company directly. That's what I do whenever I deal with a wall or slab leak. good to know that's an option...I'll keep that in mind, thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mix Posted October 19, 2018 Author Share Posted October 19, 2018 23 minutes ago, wacky1980 said: i wouldn't do the actual plumbing work myself unless it was an easy fix, but there's nothing wrong with doing a bit of exploring if you're comfortable with it. if you're not comfortable with it, then by all means hire a pro. y'know it wasn't until you said something that I realized I could have dodged this headache had I been renting....renting is crazy underrated... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoobdog Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 It should be easy enough to find them locally. Around here, we have a company called Goldak that does testing in addition to selling the equipment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wacky1980 Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 1 minute ago, Mix said: y'know it wasn't until you said something that I realized I could have dodged this headache had I been renting....renting is crazy underrated... renting has its advantages. but i'd never go back to it with my current position in life. maybe when i'm old af and can't wipe my own ass anymore, then i'll rent a room at a nursing home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midnight Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 1 hour ago, Mix said: Was a weird situation...the company I called sent a guy over to do an assessment and he did nothing but listen to what I told him concerning the leak and started talking about insurance and deductibles....then he left as a second guy arrived, the actual plumber, to tell me that he wanted to tear out a wall wear he thinks the leak might be and if it's there he'll fix it and only charge me for the repair, but if it's not there, he'll charge me for checking/tearing out my wall....then he said a third guy would come with a leak detection device to try and figure out where the leak might me... so i'm not exactly confident in what has happened so far....I'm gonna call another place to get a second opinion... Like scoob said, I'd go with the leak detection company first. If that doesn't pan out, call the second guy and find out if you take out the wall yourself, will he only charge for the call. I don't know if you live in a two story or a single story home. For obvious reasons, if you were in a two story home, it would be rather easy to detect. But my guess is, if the water you have seen is isolated, the leaky pipe should be near by the wet spot. Of course, if the base boards are wet all around, that's where your detection company would be more useful. These things can get pricey, so beware. Don't let anyone scam you. Ask for their credentials, and ask for their references. If they can't provide those things, show them to the door. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mix Posted October 19, 2018 Author Share Posted October 19, 2018 15 minutes ago, midnight said: Like scoob said, I'd go with the leak detection company first. If that doesn't pan out, call the second guy and find out if you take out the wall yourself, will he only charge for the call. I don't know if you live in a two story or a single story home. For obvious reasons, if you were in a two story home, it would be rather easy to detect. But my guess is, if the water you have seen is isolated, the leaky pipe should be near by the wet spot. Of course, if the base boards are wet all around, that's where your detection company would be more useful. These things can get pricey, so beware. Don't let anyone scam you. Ask for their credentials, and ask for their references. If they can't provide those things, show them to the door. Why would it be easier to detect in a two story? The water is isolated to the downstairs bathroom which shares a wall will the laundry room that had the suddenly warm floors I spoke about...that was the wall the plumber wanted to open up. Which makes sense, he made more sense than the other two guys that came from his company, but I felt like it wouldn't hurt to talk to more people first...water being shut off for another day isn't that big a deal... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wacky1980 Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 ...something's not right here. is the floor in your laundry room concrete or wood? is there a basement underneath or a crawlspace? you turned off the hot water, and the leak persisted. did you shut the water off before the water heater or at the outlet of the water heater? what room is the water heater in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NaBarney Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 Call over a couple good friends who you don't entirely trust in these matters and try to figure it out together, it's amazing what can be accomplished with just teamwork and the human spirit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mix Posted October 19, 2018 Author Share Posted October 19, 2018 1 minute ago, wacky1980 said: ...something's not right here. is the floor in your laundry room concrete or wood? Tile floor same as kitchen and bathroom is there a basement underneath or a crawlspace? NO you turned off the hot water, and the leak persisted. Not in the bathroom, but the meter showed that water was still running did you shut the water off before the water heater or at the outlet of the water heater? Shut the hot water off at the water heater then shut all the water off when the meter showes that water was still running what room is the water heater in? Garage behind the laundry room and bathroom where the leak was spotted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wacky1980 Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 i'm starting to think the water heater itself is the problem. if you shut off hot water and the leak persists, but the floor is getting warm, it's possible the water heater has developed a "pinhole" leak somewhere inside the unit, usually in the bottom where you won't be able to see it. if hot water is leaking out the bottom of the heater, it could be warming the floor but it would be making the floor wet in places other than inside the wall. something doesn't make sense. is it possible that the floor is feeling warm in that room because you've recently turned on your house's heating system? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NaBarney Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 The leak is coming from outside the house 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mix Posted October 19, 2018 Author Share Posted October 19, 2018 1 minute ago, wacky1980 said: i'm starting to think the water heater itself is the problem. if you shut off hot water and the leak persists, but the floor is getting warm, it's possible the water heater has developed a "pinhole" leak somewhere inside the unit, usually in the bottom where you won't be able to see it. if hot water is leaking out the bottom of the heater, it could be warming the floor but it would be making the floor wet in places other than inside the wall. something doesn't make sense. is it possible that the floor is feeling warm in that room because you've recently turned on your house's heating system? I should have been clearer, the warm floor was an initial sign along with the water in the bathroom, but it went away after the warm water was shut off...I assumed the warm water was the only issue until I saw the meter was still running, hence water was still leaking, then I turned off the water entirely and the meter stopped....then came calls to the plumbers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mix Posted October 19, 2018 Author Share Posted October 19, 2018 9 minutes ago, Nabloom said: Call over a couple good friends who you don't entirely trust in these matters and try to figure it out together, it's amazing what can be accomplished with just teamwork and the human spirit My "friends" are idiots....believe it or not, i'm the smart one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mix Posted October 19, 2018 Author Share Posted October 19, 2018 4 minutes ago, Nabloom said: The leak is coming from outside the house Was one of the first things the plumber ruled out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wacky1980 Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 (edited) is there anything else in the house that uses water, like outdoor sprinkler systems or water-powered sump pump? something that may have accounted for the ticking meter that wasn't a leak? anything, like a fridge / ice maker that uses water, geothermal, ... heated floors ... anything? Edited October 19, 2018 by wacky1980 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mix Posted October 19, 2018 Author Share Posted October 19, 2018 11 minutes ago, wacky1980 said: is there anything else in the house that uses water, like outdoor sprinkler systems or water-powered sump pump? something that may have accounted for the ticking meter that wasn't a leak? anything, like a fridge / ice maker that uses water, geothermal, ... heated floors ... anything? The fridge makes ice, but that feature wasn't on at the time...there's nothing else that comes to mind, but I like where your head is at... I did just install two new toilets a couple months ago...one of which is in the bathroom where the leak happened, but I shut the local water supply to that toilet and it didn't affect the leak so I moved on... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wacky1980 Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 it seems odd that you killed the hot water and the leak went away, yet the meter kept running. it can only mean a couple things: 1) there's another leak somewhere in the cold side, 2) something else on the cold side is using water that hasn't been accounted for, or 3) the leak didn't stop when you turned off the hot water. can you rule any of those things out on your own? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mix Posted October 19, 2018 Author Share Posted October 19, 2018 3 minutes ago, wacky1980 said: it seems odd that you killed the hot water and the leak went away, yet the meter kept running. it can only mean a couple things: 1) there's another leak somewhere in the cold side, 2) something else on the cold side is using water that hasn't been accounted for, or 3) the leak didn't stop when you turned off the hot water. can you rule any of those things out on your own? I can't think of anything besides turning the water back on and going around the house shutting off water to specific bathrooms and faucets to see if anything changes.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wacky1980 Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 it's up to you if you want to start hunting it down. if you're not comfortable doing a little poking around, and if you've already got plumbers scheduled and you don't mind waiting it out, just let them dive in when they arrive. but i definitely want to know what's the culprit when they get it straightened out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mix Posted October 19, 2018 Author Share Posted October 19, 2018 4 minutes ago, wacky1980 said: it's up to you if you want to start hunting it down. if you're not comfortable doing a little poking around, and if you've already got plumbers scheduled and you don't mind waiting it out, just let them dive in when they arrive. but i definitely want to know what's the culprit when they get it straightened out. oh i'll keep you guys informed on what's happening. I set up the next appointment for tomorrow morning and I plan to have this figured out this weekend no matter how long the actual repair work is going to take... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midnight Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 2 hours ago, Mix said: Why would it be easier to detect in a two story? The water is isolated to the downstairs bathroom which shares a wall will the laundry room that had the suddenly warm floors I spoke about...that was the wall the plumber wanted to open up. Which makes sense, he made more sense than the other two guys that came from his company, but I felt like it wouldn't hurt to talk to more people first...water being shut off for another day isn't that big a deal... I meant it would be easier to detect if you were having wetness upstairs as well. Then you would know the leak was up there, but the damage would be more significant. Luckily your upstairs is dry, so the leak isn't up there. If the house is completely level, it shouldn't be running down hill. Where the bulk of your wetness is, is more than likely exactly where your leak is. A wall, or walls will have to come down, regardless. I'd just as soon knock it out myself, than let the plumber do it and charge you even more for it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molarbear Posted October 20, 2018 Share Posted October 20, 2018 10 hours ago, Mix said: Your tweets are your death note...except instead of killing people you inconvenience them... Ya know last night I meant to throw something up there about you winning that big ass lottery..... but then I got side tracked Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mix Posted October 22, 2018 Author Share Posted October 22, 2018 On 10/19/2018 at 4:43 PM, wacky1980 said: it's up to you if you want to start hunting it down. if you're not comfortable doing a little poking around, and if you've already got plumbers scheduled and you don't mind waiting it out, just let them dive in when they arrive. but i definitely want to know what's the culprit when they get it straightened out. ok, so my pressure valve is fucked...the water pressure in my house is too high and the warm water line under my laundry room was the first to go... They have to replace the valve and piping around it...not sure if they are going to dig through my laundry room floor to get to the leak or just re-route the water with a new pipe line...fml 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wacky1980 Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 19 minutes ago, Mix said: ok, so my pressure valve is fucked...the water pressure in my house is too high and the warm water line under my laundry room was the first to go... They have to replace the valve and piping around it...not sure if they are going to dig through my laundry room floor to get to the leak or just re-route the water with a new pipe line...fml yikes...so where was the pressure regulator? and the water lines were buried under the floors? and you can't get to them without going thru the floor? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mix Posted October 22, 2018 Author Share Posted October 22, 2018 11 minutes ago, wacky1980 said: yikes...so where was the pressure regulator? and the water lines were buried under the floors? and you can't get to them without going thru the floor? It's in back room in the garage, next to the water heater....it's easy to get to.... yeah the water lines run under the house till they get to a certain wall then they go up to the second floor....they can't get to the leak unless they go though the floor, but they did suggest that they could re-route the water with a whole new set of pipes, but idk....I find it hard to believe that'll be cheaper...I mean it's still gotta go through the walls right.... I'm just tired of thinking about this.....gonna have a drink and go to sleep while watching a movie where people are being dismembered with a chainsaw...yeah, that'll even me out.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wacky1980 Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 1 minute ago, Mix said: It's in back room in the garage, next to the water heater....it's easy to get to.... yeah the water lines run under the house till they get to a certain wall then they go up to the second floor....they can't get to the leak unless they go though the floor, but they did suggest that they could re-route the water with a whole new set of pipes, but idk....I find it hard to believe that'll be cheaper...I mean it's still gotta go through the walls right.... I'm just tired of thinking about this.....gonna have a drink and go to sleep while watching a movie where people are being dismembered with a chainsaw...yeah, that'll even me out.... i can drink to that. good luck with the project! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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