The detection of water leaks around your house shouldn’t usually require you to put on that detective hat and grab a magnifying glass, however, at times doing so can turn into quite an investigation. This is especially true when you’re trying to single out the actual culprit. So, for your convenience, we have a list of to-dos that you can easily follow to detect a leak in your house. Moreover, early detection of a water leak can ward off a likely disaster and save you money in water bills and expensive repairs.
Start Off with the Meter
Whether you’ve been hearing drips through the walls or your water bill was not representative of your consumption, the first thing to do when you suspect a leak in your plumbing is to check the water meter. Before you do, be sure to shut off all valves in and around the house. Now check the meter to see if the leak indicator is moving. It could be a small triangular indicator or a small circle depending on the brand that rotates whenever the water is moving through the meter. If it is noticeably moving, there is a severe leakage in your plumbing system. At times, it may not be immediately noticeable, take another reading in 2 hours and if it has changed, it would mean that that there is a slower leakage in the plumbing system somewhere.
Is it inside or outside?
Once you have established that there actually is a leak in your plumbing somewhere, the next logical step is to locate it. This means that you need to find out if it is inside or outside of your house.
Find the master shut off valve for the house and shut the water supply to the house. This master valve is usually found in the basement or the garage just behind an outdoor faucet, or it could be outside just below that outdoor faucet.
Once again, head for the meter and see if there is any difference in meter reading. If there is no change in reading, the leak is inside the house. If the leak indicator shows a change in the reading then the leak is most likely outside between the meter and the house.
If you would not like to go through all of the hassle, you can always acquire our professional services with a quick call.
Faucets
Once you’ve determined the leak to be inside, the first thing to check is the faucets as leaking faucets are usually the most likely culprits. These are generally caused by worn out rubber washers. These washers are located just under the handle on a sink and are quite easy to replace. The professionals at the Mesa Plumbing Company will have it fixed in no time.
Leaking Toilets and Food Coloring
Toilet leaks can silently cause wastage of hundreds of gallons of water. Even if it’s a negligible leak, it can, with time, add up to huge amounts of water wastage and can cost you ridiculously in water bills. The good news is that they are inexpensive and easy to repair. The simplest and easiest trick to determine if you have a leaking toilet is to use food coloring.
Simply remove the tank lid and pour some food color in the back of the water tank. You can also grab dye tabs from any hardware shop if you don’t have food color handy. Do not flush the toilet for at least 30 minutes and check the toilet bowl for any coloring. If the water is colored, this means that water had been seeping through and there is a leak. However, if the water is clear and there is no sign of the food color or the dye you poured into the tank, the toilet is not leaking.
Here are the top reasons why water might be leaking from your tanks:
Flapper Valve Leaks
Flapper valve leak is the most common cause of a leaking toilet. This type of leak is caused by damage to the flapper which is a rubber seal located at the bottom of the tank. This rubber seal lifts up when you flush and then seals back the opening to hold the water in. When it is worn out, water seeps through the flapper continuously resulting in a toilet leak. Changing the flapper in this case will fix the issue immediately.
Flush Handle Problems
It is also possible that water is leaking due to the handle of the flush. If you need to jostle the handle to keep the water from running, this means that the flush level bar or the handle itself is stuck. The handle can be fixed by adjusting the nut that keeps it in place, or if that doesn’t work, it can be replaced altogether.
Overflowing Tube Leaks
If the toilet tank is overfilled and reaches above the fill line, it can lead to the leak by overflowing. If none of these work for you, the leak may be outside of the toilet.
Exterior leakages
Leaks do not only occur inside the house– they can be outside as well. This is why it’s imperative to check the outside of the house when you’re looking for leaks. You should also look for areas that may always be wet such as the driveway or even in the garden. It is important to remember that the signs may not always be glaring for there may not be a conspicuous stream of water as it may always dry up before it catches your attention. This is why you should keep an eye out for darker spots.
All in all, the aforementioned tips will help you detect if there are any leaks in your house’s plumbing system. If you’re not able to locate it yourself or you feel that this detective work is not for you, we are just a call away. Benefit from our dedicated plumbing services, sit back, and relax while we take care of any leaks or any other plumbing issues that your house might have.