Leak Detection in Kensington, MD

Why are leaks common in Kensington's older homes?

Kensington grew from a summer retreat into a commuter suburb, and its southern core is a planned Victorian-era layout listed as the Kensington Historic District. Many homes in town were built around the late 1950s, with older houses in the historic core. Plumbing that old has usually been repaired in pieces over the years, leaving a mix of materials and joints that are each a possible leak point. Galvanized steel, in particular, corrodes from the inside and can fail at threaded connections.

How is a hidden leak tracked down?

The plumber starts at the WSSC Water meter: with everything off, any movement confirms a leak. Closing the main valve shows whether it's inside the house or on the buried line. From there, branches and fixtures are isolated one at a time. Thermal imaging and moisture meters locate leaks behind plaster or in ceilings, and acoustic equipment helps find one underground. In older houses, valves that don't close fully can make this slower, so expect the plumber to check them early.

What if the service line needs replacing?

WSSC Water has an online, address-searchable map of known or reported service line materials, including the customer's side, plus a customer survey to verify pipe type. It also runs a Service Line Replacement Program with replacement planning and financial assistance. If the leak turns out to be on an old buried line, check that program before choosing between a spot repair and full replacement.

WSSC Water issues plumbing permits. The Town of Kensington also has its own forms for home construction projects; call Town Hall at 301-949-2424 if the repair involves exterior work. The 20895 postal area is much larger than the town itself, and addresses outside town limits deal only with WSSC and Montgomery County.

A Kensington note

Lawn irrigation, fire sprinklers and some pools in Kensington have testable backflow assemblies that WSSC requires to be tested every year by a certified technician. If usage jumps in spring, those systems are worth checking along with the house. Outdoor faucets deserve a look too, since a freeze can split one inside the wall and the leak shows only when the hose goes back on.