The average home in the U.S. wastes 10,000 gallons of water per year through leaks. Many homeowners are paying for wasted water for years because the leak wasn’t obvious.
Detecting water leaks on your property and having them fixed saves you money on your next water bill and the cost of potential structural damage.
Knowing basic tips for detecting water leaks in your house is something every homeowner should know.
5 Tips for Detecting Water Leaks
Dripping faucets and leaking toilets are visible signs of household water leaks but others aren’t as easy to detect.
Here are some of the most common sources of water leaks and plumbing problems:
- Toilets
- Showerheads
- Appliances
- Water tank/boiler
We’ve put together a few tips to help you find potential water leaks on your property.
1. Check Your Water Meter
Checking your home’s water meter is one of the best ways to tell if you have a leak.
First, turn off every faucet and make sure that all appliances that use water are not running. Write down the number on your water meter. If you see immediate changes to your meter, there is a fast leak on your property.
To detect a slower leak, check your water meter again in a few hours. If the number changed, there’s a leak.
2. Mold and Mildew
Hidden water leaks can lead to mold and mildew growth and spread in your home. Fixing these leaks as soon as possible will prevent structural damage and damage to your belongings.
If you see mold growth on your walls or staining, bubbling or warping, contact a professional immediately to address the problem.
3. Test Your Toilet
Toilets account for 24 percent of daily water use in the home and it’s much higher than that when there’s a leak.
Check for a toilet leak with the food coloring test.
Add 10 drops of food coloring to your toilet tank and wait an hour. If you see color in your bowl, then there’s a leak that lets water flow from the tank to the drain.
4. Look At Your Water Bills
Are your water bills starting to rise without changes to your water usage? A leak might be to blame.
Take a look at your water bills over the year and see if you’ve been paying for more water usage.
5. Check Water-Using Appliances
Check your appliances that use water.
The dishwasher, washing machine, water heater, refrigerator, and HVAC unit could be leaking water without you being aware. This is why routine maintenance of your appliances is a must.
Make sure there’s no loose plumbing and look for signs of rust, mold, or water damage around your appliances.
Call a Plumber
When in doubt, call a professional.
Experts have the equipment and training necessary for detecting water leaks. You could be wasting hundreds of dollars a year or risking damage to your property.
Our plumbers are highly trained and will fix your water leak issue. Contact us at Drain Masters Plumbing Company.