5 Tips for Finding a Water Leak
Knowing how to find a water leak is a crucial part of home maintenance. Undetected and untreated leaks can cause irreparable damage and cost thousands of dollars to resolve. Don’t wait until your floors are flooded or ceilings collapsing – it’s time to get proactive.
In this article, you’ll learn the top ways of finding a leak early before lasting damage occurs.
(1) Check Your Water Meter
This is the easiest way of discovering if your plumbing system has a leak.
Firstly, you’ll need to manually turn off all the water in your home, including faucets, dishwashers, washing machines, showers, and any other appliances using water. However, don’t turn off the main water pipe into your property.
Once everything is off head to your water meter and monitor it to see if it changes. It takes time to diagnose a slow-moving leak, so it’s best to leave it for at least a couple of hours.
On the flip side, if you rapidly see a change in your water meter reading, you’ve likely just diagnosed a fast-moving leak.
(2) Compare Water Bills
If DIY or manual jobs aren’t your things, another great method for monitoring water usage is to compare bills from previous months. If you’ve seen a spike in consumption and cost for no reason, you’ve possibly got a leak that needs locating.
(3) The Toilet Dye Test
Toilets account for most water use. They also happen to be the most leak-prone appliance.
To complete the toilet dye test, add a few drops of dye or food coloring into the tank of every toilet in your house – do not flush the toilet. Then you simply have to wait. If you begin to see the water in the toilet bowl change color, you’ve got a leak.
(4) Patchy Lush Lawn
Underground leaks are the hardest to pinpoint, but if you have a lawned yard it can be easier. If parts of your lawn are growing faster and thicker than other areas, this could be a sign of a leak.
What’s more, you should look out for puddled areas. If the weather is dry, but you’ve got wet patches on your lawn, this is something that needs investigating.
(5) Internal Leak Clues
Some leaks are hidden away inside your property, so you need to remain alert to clues. Keep your eyes peeled for paint discoloration, wallpaper bubbling, dripping sounds, musty smells, mold, and peeling paint.
One thing to note is that not all internal leaks are plumbing related. You could be seeing the effects of a roof leak, dampness, or another water-related issue.
How To Locate a Water Leak – Call an Expert
If you think you’ve spotted signs of a leak, stop Googling ‘how do I find a water leak?’. The best course of action is to call an expert.
For anything pipe, plumbing, and appliance related a plumber is the one to reach out to. They’ll be able to diagnose and fix the issue promptly, getting your water up and running again as soon as possible.
If you think you have a leak that needs investigating, give us a call today!
