Mr. and Mrs. J had owned their Central Florida home for just under 30 years when they encountered their first homeowner horror. They had very few issues with the house. It withstood the triple threat of Hurricanes Charley, Frances, and Jeanne in 2004, and they were quite happy with it.
One morning, Mrs. J woke up and went into the home office and noticed a small puddle on the carpet near the A/C closet. It looked like it was just on the surface of the carpet, so she assumed that the family dog just had an accident—though the dog had never done that before.
However, the liquid was cold, clear, and odorless when Mrs. J wiped it up, and the carpet felt spongy beneath her knees. She opened the closet door to make sure the A/C drain pan didn’t overflow, but everything looked normal. Mr. J came in to see what was going on, and he remembered that the pipes were underground. The two of them started moving furniture out and pulling up the carpet. The padding was soaked all the way to the hallway—but that was just the tip of the iceberg.
Mrs. J pulled back the padding, and the slab was entirely wet and had a small crack in it. Old paint lines and sealant smears from the house’s construction were covered in a thick film of water. The J family wasted no time calling out a plumber to do some investigation.
The plumber performed his diagnostics based on what he could see and the way the homes in the area were built. Water wasn’t pouring out of the crack in a large amount, so he did further diagnostics and determined that there was a pinhole leak in the copper piping. These leaks are very common in Florida because the minerals in the ground and the water cause the copper to corrode, leading to tiny leaks that cause big problems over time.
In the end, the plumbing company repiped the J family’s home with PEX piping in the attic. PEX is a flexible and durable piping solution that doesn’t corrode the same way that copper does. The attic access also makes future service much easier if needed.
Pinhole leaks are sneaky, but you can catch them early by looking for the following:
- Discolored or stained ceilings, walls, or floors
- Unexpected mildew growth
- Higher humidity levels
- Drops in water pressure
Changes to your water pressure, mildew, and stains shouldn’t be taken lightly. You can call a licensed plumber—like Kalos Services—if you notice any of the concerning signs listed above in your home. They’ll help you figure out what’s wrong with your plumbing and may even be able to repipe your home if you’re dealing with a pinhole leak like the J family.
