Every year many people in the UK encounter water leaks in their house which can cause considerable costs if they aren’t found quickly. According to The Associaton of British Insurers, £912m each year is spent in claims for residential water damage – leakage, not flooding. The average claim is £4,000 and there is a leak roughly every 2 minutes in the UK.
Some of the signs of a water leak may lead you directly to the source of the leak, while other times you’ll still be on the hunt for that annoying drip, drip, drip.
Common Causes of Water Leaks
There are a number of factors which can cause water leaks, some are listed below:
Pipework failure
One of the most common causes of water leaks is pipework failure. The issue will often occur at the joint at which one pipe meets with another. Most noteworthy is where flexible hose tails have failed. These are often used on wash basins, and to connect washing machines and dishwashers. Valves and ball cocks are also prone to failure, with all resulting in leaks that can have the potential to escalate quickly if not identified.
Freezing pipes
The most common of all causes of damage to pipework is freezing, which is why it’s vital that your pipes are sufficiently lagged, the heating is left on to maintain a minimum temperature throughout your home during the colder months to prevent pipes freezing.
One couple from Chelmsford, Essex recently discovered a water leak which was causing water to pool underneath their bathroom tiles. They had purchased a ‘new build’ flat from a developer a few years ago. A company was hired to trace the leak, which caused considerable damage to the bathroom (ripping off wall tiles, bath panel etc) in order to find the leak. Unfortunately when the flat was built the quality of the workmanship was poor and the pipes to the toilet cistern were not connected properly and caused a slow leak. Although the flat was covered by Buildings Insurance provided by the Freeholder, it took 6 months dealing separately with insurers, loss adjusters and building contractors to get the bathroom back to its original condition.
As a specialist building and loss assessing property insurance claims management company, specialising in property reinstatement for all types of residential and commercial property. We can provide you with a full property repair service to return your property to the condition it was previously in. Get in touch with our friendly staff to find out more about how we can help you.