How to Detect Water Leaks
About 14% of water is lost due to leaky pipes. And 14% of your water bill is overpaid because of the leaks. You preserve water and save money by detecting water leaks at your home. If you suspect a leak somewhere in your plumbing system, here’s what you can do:
Inside your home:
- Examine toilets for leaks. The best way to do it is to add a few drops of food coloring into the toilet tank. Then wait for a couple of minutes. If you see colored water in the bowl, the flapper is leaking and needs replacement. Even new toilets and flappers might leak. Sometimes the water in the toilet is constantly running. The reason is usually a damaged flushing mechanism that needs replacement.
- Examine all faucets to make sure they do not drip.
- Examine all visible pipes for leaks.
Outside your home:
- Walk around your house and see if there is a really green spot somewhere or any wet spots.
- Examine your sprinkler system. Damaged sprinkler heads leak only when the system is turned on, therefore it does not add a lot of gallons to the water usage when off. On the contrary, a broken pipe leaks in spite of the system usage and will add considerably to the water usage.
- Automatic fillers of the swimming pools should be also checked for leaks.
Keep in mind that your water meter is your best detective to help you discover the leak. Check your water meter last thing at night, and then first thing in the morning without using any water during the night. The difference in the metrics of the water meter indicates a leak. Do not postpone and call a professional plumber to fix the leak.
