In just one home, leaks in plumbing can waste anywhere from 2,000 to 20,000 gallons every year.

They can also cause serious structural damage, mold problems, and in the case of a dripping faucet, insanity. The worst part? Many leaks aren’t even visible, and can be difficult to detect. Water stains, or a significant increase in your water bill, could tip you off to their presence. Some leaks are obvious, and easily fixed. Some, not so much. What follows are some methods to help you check for leaks in your home, seen and unseen. While not the most exciting way to spend your Saturday, checking for and locating leaks will save a lot of water, and it may save you money.

Could I have a potential leak in my home?

Let’s find out.

Have you noticed disturbed dust patterns that look like a dirty car after the rain has dried? We would say that at some point water has been there. Whether its from an open window, a supply line, or a kid.. well, that’s harder to tell.

If you do see water, follow the drips, and turn off the nearest shutoff valve, and either fix it if you know how or call us. If there is just dusty evidence, you still might be able to find the leak.

Water follows the path of least resistance. There’s a pretty good chance if you found evidence of a leak (and it hasn’t been fixed), that water will travel that way again. One trick to help find where the drips are dropping from calls for a paper towel or paper bag. This is a useful trick in rental homes, especially when you’ve just moved in (since a leak may have been fixed, but the cleanup job may not have been too great). Grab a paper towel, a paper bag, or even a newspaper and put it under where you suspect dripping. If a drip falls, it will leave a spot, which should help you find where the drip originated. You can also try making an ink grid on the paper using some sort of non-permanent marker to make any drips more obvious.

If there are supply lines or appliances around the suspect area, check them carefully for rips or splits, unattached hoses, or anything else that looks like it could cause a leak.

If all looks right, turn on the water (or water-using appliance), making sure you can turn if off again quickly just in case. Check for leaks (you may need to wait a few minutes), and turn everything back off. If you see drips on your paper, put a bowl or bucket to catch the water, then trace that drip back to where it came from. Once you know what’s leaking, you can fix it yourself or call your landlord or us and let them know what you found (and how you found it).

If you see nothing at the time, it might just be a really slow leak. Check on it daily or more often to see if drips fall when you’re not looking. If you have no drips after a week or so, the leak might have been taken care of, or it might have been that kid after all. Or maybe it only appears when it rains. Either way, still check every so often, and mention it to us the next time you see them.

Please keep in mind that just because you cannot identify a leak yourself, doesn’t  mean you don’t have one. Listen to your gut and look at the evidence. If you feel something isn’t right, your water bill suddenly shoots up, your water meter seems to be running a marathon, or you hear running water when nothing is on and can’t find the reason, don’t wait, call us right away! Not all leaks are easily visible, or leave obvious clues. Some leaks, like ones under a home, may manifest as a warm spot under your feet that hasn’t been there before, or a yard that suddenly has squishy places (possibly broken sprinkler pipe, but also a potential septic issue). These sort of leaks require a licensed plumber quickly.

For more information regarding indoor leaks, or hidden leaks, click the link to be directed to another page.

Source: Houzz

There are good reasons to have two sinks in your kitchen — if you’re lucky enough to be able to afford that option, of course. Having two properly placed sinks improves kitchen workflow, allows multiple cooks to work in comfort simultaneously, and prevents dirty dishes from getting in the cook’s way.

Why Have a Cleanup Sink?

In a nutshell, the cleanup sink is for washing dishes, pots and glassware. It’s for cleaning up! But why do you need a dedicated cleanup sink? Because readying a meal and cleaning up afterward are two separate processes that should be physically separated. That’s how restaurants do it — the person busing tables wouldn’t dare enter the chef’s domain, after all — and the same strategy works beautifully at home.

Creating a Cleanup Zone

In order for your cleanup sink to function properly, you’ll want to surround it with the proper tools and equipment. First, the sink needs to have counter on both sides — ideally at least 3 feet per side, 2 feet at a minimum. This is necessary so that dirty dishes can move, assembly-line style, from one side to the other. Second, you should place wall cabinets or alternative storage around the sink so that plates and glassware have a home close by.

Third, you definitely want to have the dishwasher next to the cleanup sink, and your trash pullout close at hand. Finally, you should have a drawer nearby for storing silverware.

Once these items surround your cleanup sink, you’ll have created a well-functioning cleanup station — mission control for setting the table and cleaning and putting away the dishes.

What to Consider

There is no one-size-fits-all approach when selecting your cleanup sink. Instead, your decision will come down to your needs, preferences and priorities. The details are really important for making the best choices!

1. Choose Bowl Number

One of the first decisions you’ll want to make about your cleanup sink is whether you want one bowl or two. When everyone washed dishes by hand, double bowls made a lot of sense. But today many people use dishwashers so powerful that rinsing dishes beforehand is not required. If you’re not hand-washing or pre-rinsing, do you really need two bowls?

Single-bowl sinks have a few advantages. They fit large items while taking up a minimum of counter space. They also fit the modern lifestyle, where hand-washing is often done with running water (instead of a full bowl of soapy water followed by a rinse). Single bowls also allow you to choose from the popular apron or farmhouse styles, which are typically just one bowl.

If a double-bowl sink makes the most sense for you — maybe you’ll be hand-washing your grandmother’s china frequently — you may want to consider a model with unequal bowl sizes, as shown in this photo, to get maximum width in the large section.

Tip: People have different preferences, but if you do choose two bowls, I recommend that you place the garbage disposal on the larger side. That way, you’ll be able to soak your casserole dish, then dump out the food bits directly into the disposal.

2. Get the Right Width

No matter how many bowls you prefer, your cleanup sink should be wide enough to soak platters or lasagna pans. Single-bowl sinks are commonly 30 to 36 inches wide, while double-bowl sinks are frequently 33 to 42 inches wide. You may want to bring your favorite large dish along on your sink-shopping trip to be sure it will fit inside your chosen sink. If space in your kitchen is limited, I recommend choosing a single bowl so that you have the greatest amount of continuous sink-basin width.

With black toilets making a comeback (yes, they are) beat the trend and add a black bathtub to your spa retreat you won’t regret it with this inspiration.

See! These bathrooms can turn a black bathtub into a timeless piece when done right.

1. Turn off and drain your garden hose (yes, the one in the garage too!) and any sprinkler systems. That means also blowing out any leftover water in the underground lines. This if left can do damage to the sensitive components that make up your system, and hey, nobody wants to pay to fix that. If you need help with this contact us at Copper Mechanical, a small fee is better than a large one. If you are unsure where your shut off is for your sprinkler or hose? Give us a call and we can talk you through it.
2. Clean your gutters with those last fallen leaves and take a peak at your sump pump and drains (if you have one; if your foundation lies high enough above the water table you may not have one). Make sure there are no blockages and that its functioning properly. Trust me you do not want to deal with the aftermath of a snow melt with a non functioning sump pump or after a heavy rainfall as a homeowner.
3. If you have a well, give it a good inspection, looking for any cracks or damage. You do not want to be stuck without water if it turns out your well is frozen.
4. Make sure your waterlines are properly insulated to avoid freezing or bursting. If you have a crawl space, close up the vents and stuff insulation over the openings, make sure that any pipes that run alongside outer walls are well insulated. Fill in any cracks to avoid even an ounce of cold air entering.
5. Inspect and clean your humidifier, water heater, and fireplaces to ensure each unit is working properly. If you are not sure what to look for contact us today and we can help you out.
6. Consider upgrading to a programmable thermostat. If you are planning on travelling someplace warm during the winter, a programmable thermostat can help keep your home at the correct temperature during the day and night to save on energy costs and keep your home comfortable.
7. Change batteries in smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms. You never know when you might need them, so make sure they are all in good working order!
8. Fix any waterline leaks you are aware of. You can usually spot these from water marks on your ceiling. It is also a good idea to inspect your water pump, water softener, iron filter, water heater and pressure tank to ensure nothing is leaking around these units either. If you are not sure where to start, contact us today and we can help you out!

Start your fall maintenance checklist today before you forget! Sometimes winter can strike early and you’ll be unexpectedly caught in the cold. The last thing you want is for a burst pipe or falling gutters to ruin an otherwise cozy winter day.

Don’t have time to complete your checklist? Call us at Copper Mechanical Ltd for help!

See our checklist below to save to your phone or computer.

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If you’re concerned about some water that you found on your bathroom floor,

please rest assured that there are a number of common possible causes for the problem. After you eliminate the most obvious cause (poor aim?), consider the following before presuming the problem is with the seal between your toilet and the sewer line. Usually, the issue is less costly than the potentially expensive possibility of wastewater coming up from beneath your toilet.

Where to Start

Condensation: Probably the most common cause for excess water on the floor of a bathroom is water condensing on the outside of the toilet’s tank and dripping onto the floor. This is commonly referred to as the tank “sweating.” Tank condensation/sweat is caused by the difference in temperature of the water inside the tank, which is usually very cold, and the temperature of the air outside the tank in the bathroom, which is often warm and steamy. Tank condensation sometimes occurs more often in the summer months rather than the cold winter months, but can occur any time of year if the conditions are right.

There are easy solutions to this type of problem, such as toilet tank liners (which insulate the cold water inside the tank from the humid outside). Unfortunately, it’s not convenient to confirm the water on your floor is completely an issue of tank condensation/sweat. Basically, you will need to wipe the outside of your tank thoroughly with a towel and then over time, try to visually detect whether or not water is gathering on the outside of the tank again.

Water leaking from inside the toilet tank: Once you’ve confirmed that the problem you’re experiencing is not due to tank condensation, then the next best place to begin would be to eliminate the possibility of you having water leaking from the tank itself. This is a fairly easy thing to check. Start by removing your toilet tank lid (be very careful, because tank lids are extremely fragile, can be heavy and are usually slippery when wet) and add some organic-based coloring (such as food coloring) to your toilet tank water.

After adding the coloring, do NOT flush the tank, but instead wait a little while for the tank water to change color and settle. If after about 10-15 minutes (without flushing the tank) you find the water on your floor to be the same color as the colored water inside your tank, or if you see any colored drips coming from anywhere on your tank, then you’ll know you have water escaping from the toilet’s tank since that IS the only place you have the colored water.

The next thing to do would be to identify where the water is coming from. Any cracks in the porcelain tank should be discolored and highlighted by the tinted water. The tinted water will usually help in finding any leaks around the bolts and rubber seals between your tank and bowl or from the foam gasket where the flush valve allows water to enter the bowl.

Other Possibilities

Leaking shut-off valve: Make sure water isn’t seeping from the pipe connection behind the shut-off valve, near the wall. If it is, the valve may need to be replaced (although it may be possible for you to tighten the valve onto the pipe, depending upon the type of valve and pipe you have).

Leaking supply line: Check for water dripping from the nuts on each end of the supply line, where the line attaches both to the inlet of the toilet’s fill valve (on one end of the flex) and the shut-off valve on the wall (at the other end of the flex). If you have a rigid supply line, you can try replacing the supply washers. Sometimes the supply line will be attached directly to your shut-off valve as a single piece unit. We recommend using flexible stainless steel water flexes as they are easier to attach and are very reliable. If you do have the single piece valve-with-supply-line, we recommend replacing it with a separate shut-off valve and a flexible supply line (two separate pieces).

Water coming from elsewhere in the bathroom: Very often, your toilet will be the lowest fixture in the bathroom causing water from the shower or the bathtub to pool at your toilet. This will make it appear as if the water is coming from the toilet when in fact the cause is much simpler and less expensive. You can try adding a throw rug, or two, to your floors to see if this eliminates the problem.

And Finally…

Leaking from underneath the toilet: The wastewater should only seep past a bad wax ring if the water is backing up from further down the line. Even when a wax seal is bad, the water that is being flushed through a free drain shouldn’t escape past the wax on the closet flange (beneath the toilet) and onto the floor as the water is droppings straight down, directly from the toilet and into the waste line. If the water on your floor is obviously wastewater (indicated by its coloring and noticeable smell), then your problem is likely more than just a bad wax ring. Although you may not be experiencing a recurring overflow problem with your toilet, the water is still most likely backing up and out through the first point of least resistance (from beneath your toilet). Along with resealing your toilet bowl (with a new wax ring and perhaps caulking around the base), we strongly recommend you investigate the possibility of a stoppage in your waste lines. In that case, simply replacing the wax ring would not solve your issue and you could then encounter increased drainage problems due to the existing stoppage in your lines. The new wax ring may then fail if the wastewater was continually backing up to it.

If you are ever in doubt, please contact us either by phone, email,

or use our contact form below.

The constant dripping can slowly drive a person insane, not to mention the hundreds (if not thousands) of gallons of water you’re paying for – all of it just lost down the drain each year. Save your sanity and and get that leaky faucet fixed.

First things first, you need to figure out where the leak in your faucet is coming from.

Go to your faucet and check it out while you answer the following questions. Dry the area around the faucet before you begin so you can easily identify any new drips, and be sure to check underneath the sink for leakage as well.

• • If your faucet is turned off, does water still drip out of the spout?
    • If the answer is yes, then some or all of the internal parts of the faucet may need to be replaced, depending on your water condition.

• • If you turn your faucet on, is water leaking around the base of the faucet as water is running out through the spout?
    • If the answer is yes to this question, then usually the o-rings surrounding the spout just need to be replaced.

• • If you turn your faucet on, does water leak or spray out through the top of the handle?
    • Replacing the cartridge or stem will fix this. But it could just be an o-ring needs to be replaced.

• • If your faucet is turned off, does water leak around the base of the faucet, but not out of the spout?
    • The faucet housing itself may have developed a pin hole leak. This happens very rarely, but it can still happen. If this is the case you could have water under the sink, inside the cabinet. Check all of the water supply line connections for possible leaks and if the only leak is from the base of the faucet you will most likely need to replace your faucet.

If your faucet isn’t exhibiting any of the above behaviors, but it’s still leaking…well, we recommend calling us or simply replacing the faucet. But if you were able to discover the source of your leak – yay! Let’s move on to the next step.

Now that you’ve discovered where the leak is coming from, it’s time to repair it.

One other thing to keep in mind – don’t bring any notions to the job that it’s necessarily a snap and you’ll be done in 15 minutes. That’s the surest way to set yourself up for disappointment, since even seemingly simple plumbing jobs require patience and care to complete properly. Make sure you have a backup plan if for some reason the repair doesn’t go smoothly or the problem is bigger than you suspected. For example, if your kitchen faucet is the one leaking, do you have another means of getting water if your faucet is out of commission for a few days? Plan ahead, just in case!

Step One: Turn off the water to the faucet.

There are usually shut off valves, also known as stop valves (one for hot and one for cold), under the sink for such an occasion as this. If you do not have an angle or straight stop valve under the sink, you will need to turn off the water to the whole house.

Once you have turned the water to the faucet off, turn or move the faucet handle(s) to the open position to check and make sure the water is off. At this point we suggest you put a stopper or rag in the drain to remove any possibility of parts accidentally disappearing down the drain. Trust us, this happens. And it isn’t fun.

Step Two: Remove the faucet handle(s).

Most acrylic style handles use a cosmetic cover button to hide a flat head screw underneath. Single lever handles usually have a recessed allen screw discreetly and strategically hidden in a location not easily seen when the faucet is in the off position, so you may need to grab a flashlight and do some hard looking.

Once you have discovered how to remove your handle, use a screwdriver or hex (allen) wrench, whichever is needed, and remove your handle. You do not normally have to remove the allen screw completely from the handle to remove the handle. Often times when the allen screw is completely removed it is accidentally lost or easily misplaced.

Step Three: Remove the retaining nut(s).

Once the handle is removed you will find there is always some kind of retaining nut that holds the internal parts in place. Retaining nuts can have exterior threads that tighten onto the main body of the faucet, or have interior threads that will tighten into the body of the faucet depending on the design of the faucet. We recommend you use a box end wrench or crescent wrench to remove retaining nuts. Some retaining nuts are also a cosmetic part of the faucet and the use of pliers or channel locks can mar the finish.

Step Four: Determine what kind of mechanism your faucet uses.

There are basically three types of internal movement mechanisms used in faucets – cartridges, compression stems, or ball assemblies. Most single control faucets use either a cartridge or a ball assembly. Usually, you can easily distinguish between these two styles once you remove the handle on a single control faucet, as ball faucets literally have a ball inside (with a short handle sticking out of the ball). If you have a 2-handled faucet you can usually determine what style your faucet is simply by turning the handle. If your faucet has a cartridge, the handle will turn left or right either a quarter or half a turn and stop in the same place each time. If the handle rotates more than half a turn, and continues to rotate 360 degrees until it reaches its limit, then you have a compression style faucet.

Step Five: Remove the internal working parts.

PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE ORDER IN WHICH YOU REMOVE THE INTERNAL FAUCET PARTS. We cannot stress this enough. Many faucet repair kits don’t come with instructions specific to your individual faucet model, and if you don’t put the components back in the same order, you may have bigger problems later on. We suggest taking notes, or maybe even taking a quick photo of your faucet with the handles off or a series of photos as you remove the components.

If you have a cartridge, then you will just pull the cartridge straight out. Ceramic disc cartridges can usually be cleaned and the rubber seals at the bottom replaced and the cartridge reinserted for prolonged service. However, if you replace the rubber seals and reinsert the cartridge and find your faucet is still leaking then you will usually need to purchase an entire new replacement cartridge. Sometimes the ceramic discs can be scratched by fine sand or grit in the water causing them to leak.

If you are removing the retaining nut and the stem is threaded through and attached to the retaining nut, then you have a compression-style faucet and the stem will have a washer screwed to the bottom of it. Once you have removed the stem, examine the threads, any o-rings or packing washers, and the rubber washer at the bottom of the stem. As long as the metal retaining ring for the washer is in good condition, then just the washer can be replaced. If the metal retaining ring is not in good condition, then the entire stem will need to be replaced.

With ball assembly faucets, once the top cap is removed, the cam will be exposed. The cam is the plastic piece with the lever poking through it. Remove the cam, cam washer, and control lever ball assembly. Examine the control ball – if it is damaged or scratched, you will need to replace it. If not, you’ll just need to replace the rubber valve seats and springs, and maybe the o-rings.

Step Six: Find your replacement parts.

It’s best if you remove the parts and bring them to a plumbing supply store, rather than buy replacement parts before you take the faucet apart and risk having to return them if they’re the wrong ones. You can look for the parts yourself if repair kits are on a wall display, or you can ask a sales person for help. In either case, don’t leave the store until you are sure the parts in your hand match those that you brought in. It also helps to know the make of the faucet you’re trying to repair, or show the sales person your photos.

Step Seven: Reassemble the faucet using the replacement parts.

Here’s where your pictures or notes come in handy – all you really need to do is put everything on in the same order you took it off. Remember to coat your o-rings with plumber’s grease (usually included in most repair kits), and just take your time getting everything put back together. Make sure each piece fits properly before you continue.

Step Eight: Turn the water supply back on and check for leaks.

If your faucet isn’t leaking anymore, move on to the next step. If you’re still experiencing a problem and you didn’t replace ALL of the components, you might want to consider going back and replacing the ones you didn’t replace before. If you DID replace all of the components, you may need to call in a plumber or replace the entire faucet.

Step Nine: You did it. Your faucet no longer leaks. You just saved yourself some money on your water bill, and helped to conserve our most precious natural resource – fresh drinking water. You’re awesome.

If these steps seem overwhelming to you or you simply do not have the time.

Contact us by phone, text (519-575-5639),

email (info@coppermechanical-ltd.ca)

or using our submission form below!

Toilets are the most common leak culprit,

and are hard to spot without testing, which is why we have a detailed guide to detecting and repairing common toilet leaks. While you’re in the bathroom, check out your tub or shower, sink, and the floors around them. Any curled flooring, loose tiles or stains should immediately alert you to a problem.

If you have shower doors, stand inside, close the doors, and splash water all around the door and frame. If you find any water outside, you’ll need to replace any worn floor sweeps and gaskets on the door, and possibly re-caulk the frame. Though seemingly innocuous, these kinds of leaks can seep water into the subfloor, potentially rotting the wood and developing into a major (and costly) repair.

The tub/shower drain is also a source of leaks, since the connection to the bottom of the tub/shower can separate slightly, allowing water to leak outside the drain body and into flooring. Those with plastic or fiberglass tubs or shower pans are especially at risk for this kind of leak, as those materials will flex. A simple check for this leak uses a test plug. Simply fill the tub or shower with enough water to create a puddle, insert the plug, and wait a few minutes. Should that puddle shrink, it may be time to replace a gasket, re-caulk, or install a whole new drain.

Faucets are notorious leakers. Luckily, these leaks are usually obvious, and a leaking faucet often needs only a replacement part or new o-ring to be fixed, and such repairs are often easy enough to do on your own. Our guide to fixing leaky faucets will help you locate the source of the problem, and gives general instructions for faucet repair.

As for your sinks, they can have problems with leaking around the rim, which can damage countertops and cabinets. Check for puddles or stains around the sink and inside the cabinet. Any loose countertop material or deteriorated caulk around the sink are telltale signs of these kinds of leaks, as is a loose faucet base. To make sure your sink is tightly sealed, use a sponge to squeeze out a noticeable amount of water around the sink’s rim and the base of the faucet. Check inside the cabinet and underneath the sink for any seepage after a few minutes. If you do discover any leaks, they can usually be taken care of with a re-caulking, or tightening of the sink’s undermount clips (if applicable).

To check for leaks in your sink’s plumbing, dab a dry tissue or paper towel all around the hot and cold water supply line stops and hoses. After that, fill the sink up with some water and then remove the stopper; grab another dry tissue and wipe down the length of the waste piping as it drains. Leaks of this nature will usually require replacement of stops, fittings, or supply lines.

Like faucets, water heaters generally don’t have concealed leaks. If you see water on the ground around your heater, check the temperature and pressure relief valve: if it’s constantly leaking, you need to check the temperature and pressure. If these are within the operating limits of the heater, you’ll need to replace the valve. If the valve doesn’t appear to be the offender, check the fittings and stops connected to the heater, and replace as necessary. Sometimes condensation from the heater will create wet spots or puddles. While this isn’t technically a “leak”, condensation can cause problems. Check that all heater venting is clear. You may end up needing to adjust settings on the unit, or even consult with a plumber to resolve the issue.

If you need assistance or quite frankly do not have the time, contact us! We are here to help!

Whether your gorgeous vintage bathtub is the focal point of your bathroom or you’re just stuck with an old tub, you want to keep it looking clean and brand new. But how? We found the best ways to keep your tub sparkling; read on for tips on taking care of your porcelain beauty.

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