Common Reasons Water Leaks From Ceilings
There are two main reasons you could experience water leaking from ceilings: Either there is an issue with your plumbing, such as a damaged pipe or leaking shower. Or there is an issue with your roof, such as a hole or overflowing gutters.
Usually, the first sign of a plumbing leak in your bathroom will be water stains on the ceiling of the room directly below. This is usually a sign that the leak has caused expensive damage to hidden areas and you must call out a plumber to inspect and repair the leak.
The most common toilet leak is caused by a deteriorated flush valve (flapper) at the bottom of the toilet tank. If the flapper does not seat properly, water will leak into the toilet bowl. Often this leak will occur without being heard.
Call a roofer or a plumber to stop the damage from getting worse, then ask them if they have someone they recommend for the rest of the repair. From there, the extent of the damage should be considered before you call someone in for the more cosmetic portion of the ceiling repair.
Do you see yellow, brown, or faint stains on your ceiling and walls? It's likely due to a leaky roof. These water spots are often located in the center of the room, but may be in the corners or along an exterior wall.
While leaky sinks and pipes can cause damage to your home, there's a vast difference between a tiny leak that's dripping and a considerable leak that quickly fills buckets of water. A large volume of leaking water is generally considered a plumbing emergency.
If your toilet is causing a wet floor, you could end up with rotted floor boards, damage to the ceiling below, and other structural damage, which could end up being disruptive and expensive to repair.
Ceiling stains
Any brownish or dark stain on the ceiling can be an indicator. If you're lucky and the stain is located directly under your upstairs bathroom, a leak is most likely the culprit. Water, however, can move a long way under your upstairs flooring and appear on the ceiling many feet away from the leak.
A faulty wax ring, or one that is going bad, may produce any number of telltale signs. These include leaks, bad smells, or a wobbly toilet.
Since the water flows down the sewer, leaking toilets don't necessarily leave any signs of a leak, until you get the bill. The average leaky toilet can waste about 200 gallons of water per day. That's over 6,000 gallons a month ($70.06*) for just one leaking toilet!
You'll be covered for plumbing leaks if it's sudden, accidental and significant enough that it's discovered right away. But again, most homeowners insurance policies exclude damages that occur gradually.
Leaking Around the Base of Your Toilet
The worst-case scenario is that the toilet leaks through the floor and causes damage to the room underneath. For this reason, it's best to involve a plumber to pinpoint the cause of the toilet leak and provide a quality solution.
If your roof or ceiling leaks due to a covered peril, the associated damage should be covered under your homeowners insurance policy. Most home insurance policies have an open perils claims basis, which means unless coverage is specifically excluded, then it is included.
Since leaks only occur while it's raining, if it hasn't rained in quite some time, then it's probably not a roof leak. If a leak does occur during or after a rain, the leak may still not be where you see the water damage. Remember, water flows to the lowest point.
Burst pipes are a prevalent cause of ceiling leaks and damages are most common in the winter when temperatures can reach extreme lows. As the water inside of the pipes cools down quickly, it expands and causes the pipes to become more pressurized, leading to a burst if the pipe cannot handle the extra pressure.
As mentioned earlier, ceiling leakage is not an issue that only concerns you. Dealing with this problem usually concerns three parties: the HDB and the owners of the upper and lower flat. For cases of ceiling leaks between the upper and lower floor flats, both owners share the responsibility of having it fixed.
What to do if you have a leak. If you own your home, you're responsible for the water pipe that runs from the boundary of your property into your home, and the internal pipes and fittings. If you're a tenant, this is your landlord's responsibility to fix and maintain.
A ceiling will dry out after a leak within two to four weeks. The time it takes to dry out will depend on the level of saturation in the area. Make sure you have stopped the leak at its source before leaving the area to dry out.
A silent leak can be caused by a fill valve set too high.
The fill valve is the part of the toilet that is responsible for refilling the tank after being flushed. Over time, a worn or out of alignment fill valve can become a problem, cause a leak, and wear on valve's components and parts.
Running Toilets Lead to Damaging Leaks
This is a dangerous situation for your family and can be prevented through fast action and a licensed plumber.
But, occasionally, water will begin to leak out from under the toilet and spill onto the floor, which can lead to serious water damage. But this type of leak is easy to diagnose and fix, even if you've never attempted a plumbing repair.