The Dangerous Slow Risk of a Pinhole Leak
Small, hard to find, harder to detect, pinhole leaks are a big problem with older homes or where plumbing was not installed correctly. The problem is most common with copper piping regularly used for hot water, which makes these leaks even more difficult to find at times thanks to temperature changes and expansion or contraction causing leakage to be intermittent at times.
How Pinhole Leaks are Caused
As the name implies, pinhole leaks are incredibly small, many times hard to see at first glance. The giveaway tends to be the collection of water drops from their source under pressure or water stains nearby from dripping. What is a pinhole leak, technically? Measurement-wise they can be smaller than 1/8 of an inch and allow water to escape from the plumbing line it is contained in. Pinhole leaks are a problem both in their immediate exposure of water to the surrounding area and the likelihood that the section of copper piping is starting to fail.
Pinhole breaks are caused by corrosion of copper pipes internally, chemical reactions, as well as by friction of rubbing contact with materials touching the outside of pipes where they are installed. Either way, they can become a bigger problem if ignored; the water line they affect is under pressure and won’t stop leaking until the water main is turned off to the house. So even a small leak can cause serious damage over time.
What to Look For
Aside from the immediate signs mentioned above, pinhole leaks give themselves away in other ways too. Some of those signals happen with the cost of water as well as how the hot water behaves in a house. But these signals require a homeowner to pay attention regularly too. Flags can include:
- A water bill that seems to be increasing despite steady usage of water month to month.
- Water pressure loss, most noticeable in the shower or with heavy water flow.
- Damage around the given pipe area.
- Fungal growth due to moisture availability.
- Actual dripping sounds behind a wall when everything is quiet.
- Copper pipes changing color thanks to corrosion on the outside and oxidation as water leaks and drips.
- Condensation on the outside of copper pipes due to temperature differences and the surrounding air. This is most common in the garage.
These signs and similar tend to be the more frequent ways pinhole leaks are discovered and identified mainly because the actual leak itself is simply not what people actively notice day to day. Finally, the last big one is probably the most conclusive about a leak; shut off the main water supply completely to the house. If the water meter on the home is still turning, something is leaking somewhere in the house plumbing. It’s probably one of the most conclusive ways to confirm a leak is present.
How Pinhole Leaks are Resolved
While it is possible that pinhole leaks can be patched, the better course of action involves just replacing the section of copper pipe affected altogether. More than likely, corrosion is the cause, or poor installation. With a replacement, both issues can be resolved at the same time, avoiding a recurring leak in the future. If there is more than one pinhole leak, then it is likely the entire copper line is going bad, which is common in older homes where age and local hard water have taken a toll. In these cases, a replumbing is the eventual solution to the problem, but patchwork can be applied intermittently until a homeowner is ready for a bigger project.
The most important thing to remember involves not ignoring the pinhole leak if suspected. Water damage over time can be incredibly costly to repair, especially with all the mitigation work needed prior to fixes being made. Stopping a small leak immediately is a far better choice than waiting for it to grow, the copper line to fail entirely, or for mold to set in. A licensed plumber can work with a homeowner and find the problem quickly, as well as provide multiple options for a repair. It’s not the type of work one usually can do with do-it-yourself tools, so rely on a plumber for help.
