Another quick trick is to use a small piece of toilet paper or tissue. Just lightly wrap it around the joint or pipe you're suspicious of, and if there's even the tiniest leak, you'll see it get damp almost immediately. It's especially helpful if you're not sure whether the moisture you're feeling is condensation or an actual leak.
Also, don't underestimate smell as an indicator. Like you mentioned, sometimes a weird odor is your first clue something's off. I've found that musty smells under sinks or cabinets often mean water's been quietly leaking for a while. If you catch it early enough, drying it out and tightening the joint might be all you need to do. If it's been leaking longer, though, you might want to replace the fitting entirely—better safe than sorry when it comes to water damage and mold.
Good tip about using tissue paper—I hadn't thought of that before. Usually, I just run my fingers along the pipe and see if they come away wet, but your method sounds cleaner and more precise. Smell is definitely a big giveaway too; I once ignored a faint musty odor under my kitchen sink, thinking it was just normal cabinet smell. Turned out there was a slow drip behind the cabinet wall, and by the time I noticed it, the damage was already done—cost me a pretty penny to fix.
Speaking of quick tricks, does anyone have a reliable method for checking leaks in hidden or hard-to-reach areas without tearing everything apart? I'd prefer not to spend money on specialized equipment if there's a simpler way to pinpoint the problem.
One thing I've tried before is using food coloring in the toilet tank to check for hidden leaks—works surprisingly well. I wonder if you could adapt that somehow? Maybe soak a paper towel or cloth with colored water and wrap it around suspect pipes or joints overnight. If there's a leak, you'd see the color seep through. Haven't tested it myself yet, but seems logical enough...and definitely budget-friendly compared to calling in a plumber or buying fancy gear.
I've actually tried something similar once, but honestly, I'm not sure how reliable it is. Wrapped a cloth soaked in blue food coloring around a joint I suspected was leaking, left it overnight, and the next morning everything was just...blue. Couldn't really tell if it was from a leak or just the cloth touching the pipe. Maybe I did it wrong? Curious if anyone else has had better luck with this method.
I've never tried the cloth method myself, but I did something similar with paper towels once. Wrapped them around the joint dry, then checked back after a few hours to see if they were damp. Seemed easier to spot moisture that way without worrying about dye spreading everywhere. Maybe the food coloring just complicates things? Has anyone else found a simpler trick for pinpointing leaks without making a mess...?
