Why Micro-leaks are worse than regular leaks

A Micro-leak is any leak that’s too small to be observed and remedied in a timely manner. The potential for damage is always greater when a problem becomes chronic. Typically this happens because of poor visibility or infrequent inspections. Many kitchen and bathroom cabinets have Micro-leaks and are stuffed with bottles, boxes, chemicals, bags and random miscellanea. Many floors near steam radiators show years of damage due to leaking valves and vents.

If possible, try checking suspect fixtures at least once a year. A proper examination would require removing anything removeable that blocks a proper inspection. If a cabinet, floor or ceiling shows signs of water damage then determine the cause. Don’t wait. Repairing these types of leaks requires a lot of patience. Micro-leaks may do more than damage stored goods and cabinets. They can also cause structural damage due to years of neglect. One problem can lead to another if neglected further. Any leak, big or small can also cause mold to grow and become a serious health concern when addressed too late.

Sometimes there are false alarms that resemble Micro-leaks but aren’t. Nevertheless these require attention also. Here’s an example: A customer called a week after a faucet and drain installation. The customer noticed water at the bottom of their vanity cabinet. When the area was dried and inspected, nothing was found. The water was left running for a long time with several dry paper towels inside the cabinet. Not a drop was seen.

After getting the customer to recreate their usage and cleaning habits, the mystery was solved. When the customer would use the faucet, they’d splash water around. Some of that water went into the hole at the back and center of the faucet. This hole is for the Lift Rod that opens and closes the lavatory drain. After determining that this habit would not change, the solution was to keep a strategically placed pan in the cabinet. Since this wasn’t a steady drip, the pan never filled but it did prevent the water from further damaging the vanity cabinet constructed of particle board.

Hopefully this little essay will raise awareness before a small problem becomes a big one.

Micro-leaks have potential for big problems