DIY guideLeaks and drips

It's dripping: catch it and note when it drips

Catch the water, move things out of the wet, and note when it drips: while water runs, just after, or all the time. That tells a pro where to look.

7 steps

Tap a step to watch it again.

Put a bucket or a pan under the drip, with a towel in it so the drops don't splash.
Water near an outlet, a light or a cord? Don't touch it. Switch that circuit off at the panel from a dry spot.
Lift rugs, boxes and anything that plugs in out of the way, and wipe up what's on the floor.
Look straight up from the drip: a ceiling, a pipe, the bottom of a machine. Mark the spot with tape.
Watch for a day. Does it drip while a tap, a shower or a machine runs, just after, or all the time?
Run one tap, the shower or a flush above it for a few minutes, then wait. If the drip starts, that's the one.
Take a photo of the drip, the spot it comes from and your bucket, for a pro and your insurer.
Dripping all the time, a stain that grows, or a ceiling that sags: turn off the main water, keep out from under it, and ask Handyman for a plumber.

Handyman says: Keep the water off. I'll find a plumber.

Free for every home. Handyman asks a few questions, then books a pro it trusts.