How a Leaky Tap Can Put Your Health at Risk

A leaky tap is much more than a noisy nuisance that keeps you awake at night. For starters, a leaky tap can waste thousands of gallons of water per year. But more than that, a leaking tap can have a negative impact on your health in more ways than one.

If one or more taps in your home or place of business leak, hire a plumber to fix them as soon as you can. Otherwise, you could suffer from the following health effects.

Rotten cupboards and flooring

Whether your tap drips or leaks water between the tap body and the spindle, it will affect the surrounding surfaces. And any wooden surfaces and structures in the vicinity of your leaking tap will begin to rot. Once you understand the science of how wood rot occurs, you will begin to see how dangerous it can be.

A fungus that requires moisture, temperatures between 10 and 37 degrees Celsius and a food source, such as wood, to survive and thrive causes wooden fixtures and structures to rot. If the floor around your sink or bath becomes unstable because of rot, it could collapse under you. And rotten cupboards too can collapse without warning.

Dangerous mould infestations

Along with the fungi that cause wood rot, you will also have the fungi that cause dangerous mould infestations. And like wood-rot fungus, mould thrives in places that you might never notice, such as behind walls, under sinks and under floorboards.

Black mould can be deadly to your health, especially if you already have asthma and other allergies. The toxins from mould can cause respiratory problems like asthma attacks and sinus infections.

Slippery floors

Tap leaks or, in fact, any leaks worsen over time due to corrosion, age and wear and tear from by constant use. And if you are often out at work and busy while at home, you might not notice the issue worsening. But what happens if the leak worsens overnight while you are asleep and creates a puddle of filthy water in your bathroom or kitchen?

You might not know the puddle is there until you have slipped in it and injured yourself. This is an especially dangerous issue for seniors and young children.

Contaminated food due to cockroaches

One particularly nasty pest that loves leaking taps in Australia is the cockroach, which can breed out of control in a short time. Cockroaches are a health risk because they carry dangerous bacterial strains like E.coli and Staphylococcus on their bodies.

Cockroaches can then contaminate your food, cutlery and crockery when they crawl through your kitchen. You could then suffer from food poisoning as a result.

Allergic reactions from unwanted pests

Leaking taps can bring all kinds of pests into your home, such as termites and cockroaches. Unfortunately, all of these pests produce harmful allergens that can cause asthma attacks and severe allergic reactions. For instance, termites and cockroaches produce allergenic proteins like tropomyosin, which are also found in shellfish.

If your leaking taps attract these pests into your home then, you and your family could begin to experience allergic reactions and respiratory problems.



A leaky tap will not just leave you out of pocket. It will damage your health too. If you are worried about a leaky tap or two in your home, contact S.P.K. Plumbing & Civil today. With over two decades of experience, we can fix your leaking taps quickly and professionally so you and your family or staff members do not suffer any ill effects to your health. We look forward to speaking with you soon and meeting all your plumbing needs.