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Ways to Detect A Water Leak in Your Home

Ways to Detect A Water Leak in Your Home

Early detection of a water leak will save you some money and keep possible water damage to a minimum. Here are a few ways to detect a leak in your home – and the reasons you should consider contacting a plumber for professional assistance.

Inspect your Water Meter

If you suspect that you might have a leak in your plumbing, but can’t find the evidence, the easiest solution is to check your water meter. Sometimes plumbing leaks can happen to pipes in the walls – or other places in your home that are hidden from view. If your water pressure is consistently low or you find wet spots on walls or floors, check your water meter! To do this, you’ll need to make sure there is no water running in your home. Turn off all faucets and make sure that the dishwasher and washing machine aren’t running.

After you have checked that no water is running, watch the water meter and check whether it is still advancing. If the numbers continue to move, you probably have a leak. If the meter doesn’t show any change, wait up two hours, and check it once more. If you see a slight change, then you might be dealing with a very slow leak.

Review Your Water Bill

In the event that your bill is slowly increasing yet your water use hasn’t changed, a leak might be the cause. Gather your bills from the last six months and check to see if there has been a consistent increase in usage. Your water bill should be fairly consistent month to month, unless you have a large lawn that needs to be watered in the summer. Make adjustments for that kind of seasonal usage.

You may never see leaks in some instances, but you will most certainly be billed for them. Always be mindful of your utility bills and any sudden or incremental changes. If you do notice higher water use, for no particular reason, call an expert plumber immediately.  

Get Creative 

Toilets can represent up to 30 percent of your water use, so you should check every few months to guarantee they’re running appropriately. To test for leaks, put a couple of drops of food coloring inside your toilet tank and wait for 10 minutes. If the coloring appears in your bowl (without flushing), that is a sure sign that there is a leak in the tank.

Check Outside Faucets 

Leaks don’t only happen inside the home – they happen outside as well. Check your outside faucets by connecting a garden hose; if water leaks through the hose while the faucet is off – you have a leak. Consider calling an expert once a year to check your plumbing. A plumbing system with even a small leak could be losing 6,300 gallons of water every month.

Enjoy Peace of Mind

Make sure to routinely check the back of kitchen cupboards, shelves and closets for any indication of a leak; damp spaces, mold and musty smells. These out-of-the-way areas can sometimes keep a leak hidden for weeks – even months. Also be mindful of wet patches in your yard, which might indicate a plumbing leak underground. Consider having an expert plumber make a yearly assessment of your plumbing system. It might save you a lot of money on future repairs and expensive replacement – and offer peace of mind. Be particularly cautious if your house is more than 25 years of age; your plumbing system might need to be replaced altogether.

If you think that you might be dealing with a leak of any size, contact the experts at Action Air today. We can help with any kind of leak – and can fix it quickly and successfully. Call us at 317-451-4371 to set up an appointment today!

Need Water Leak Detection? Call Action Air Today!