I get where you’re coming from about not wanting to cut unless you’re sure. Still, I’ve seen leaks that barely register on a cheap moisture meter, especially if the water’s running down a stud or pooling somewhere weird. Sometimes that “hissing” is just a pipe expanding or contracting, not a leak at all.
Saved me from tearing into the wrong spot once already.
That’s a win, but I’d still keep an eye (and ear) out. Those plastic fittings can fail slow and quiet. If you start seeing any discoloration or soft spots, then yeah, time to open up. Otherwise, I’d hold off and monitor—no need to make a mess if you don’t have to.
- Good call on not tearing into the wall unless you’ve got more evidence.
- That said, I’ve seen cases where a faint hiss was actually a pinhole leak in a copper line—barely any moisture showed up, but over time it did some real damage behind the drywall.
- If you can, check for any temperature differences along the wall with your hand. Sometimes a cold spot gives away a slow leak, especially if it’s a supply line.
- Keep an eye out for musty smells too. Mold loves those hidden leaks and sometimes that’s the first sign before you see stains or soft spots.
- If you’re really worried, try shutting off water to that section overnight and see if the sound goes away. That can help narrow down whether it’s plumbing or just expansion/contraction noises.
I get wanting to avoid unnecessary demo, but I’d err on the side of caution if anything changes—better to patch drywall than deal with rot or mold later.
Had a similar thing happen in my old place—turned out the “hiss” was just the pipes expanding and contracting, but I spent weeks convinced it was a leak. Drove me nuts. I did the whole “hand on the wall” thing and even bought one of those cheap moisture meters off Amazon (not sure how accurate those really are, honestly). Didn’t find anything, but I kept sniffing around for that musty smell just in case.
“better to patch drywall than deal with rot or mold later.”
Can’t argue with that. I’m all about minimizing waste, but if there’s even a hint of mold risk, I’d rather cut out a small section now than have to rip out half the wall later. That said, sometimes people jump to demo way too fast—walls aren’t as disposable as some folks seem to think. If you’re not seeing any stains or soft spots and the sound isn’t getting worse, I’d probably keep monitoring before busting out the tools.
Funny how something as tiny as a pinhole can cause so much stress... and potentially way more damage than you’d expect.
Honestly, I’ve seen folks tear out half a bathroom over a noise that turned out to be nothing but thermal expansion. Pipes can be noisy little gremlins. If you’re not seeing water stains or smelling anything funky, I’d just keep an eye (and ear) on it for now. Those moisture meters are hit or miss—sometimes they’re just fancy paperweights.
Had a tenant once swear up and down there was a leak because of a faint hissing. Turned out it was just the copper pipes expanding when the hot water kicked in. I usually do a quick check: look for stains, sniff for musty smells, and if nothing’s off, I just keep tabs on it. Those moisture meters? Half the time they beep at drywall dust...