How To Find A Hidden Leak In Your Home
Early detection of a water leak can save you time, money, and potential disaster. There are some things that you can do to detect a leak before the problem escalates. To determine if you have a water leak, you should check your water meter, review your water consumption, monitor your water bill, check exterior fixtures, and use common sense.
Check Your Water Meter
The best way to determine if you have a water leak in a part of your plumbing system is to check your water meter. To check the meter, you will need to turn off the water supply to your home. Make sure all faucets are off and that nothing is running.
Locate where your meter is located outside of your home. If the meter continues to run, after the water supply has been turned off, then you have a leak somewhere in your home. The leak can be anywhere, underground or in the piping system in your residence. A professional plumber that offers Leander leak detection can determine where the leak is located.
Review Your Water Consumption
It is recommended that you check your winter water usage to find out if there is a leak in your home. If a family of four people is consuming more than 12000 gallons of water per month, this could signify a serious leak. If you notice that your water consumption has escalated, but you are not doing anything differently, the problem needs to be evaluated.
Monitor Your Water Bill
You work hard for your money, and you should not have to throw it away. If you have not changed your water usage habits, but your bill keeps increasing, this could signify a leak somewhere. Gather a few bills and review over the totals. If you are seeing a drastic change in your statements, have your plumbing checked promptly.
Check Exterior Fixtures
Leaks are not restricted to where they occur. They can happen indoors and outdoors. To ensure that the leak is not being caused by something outdoors, check all the spigots located outside of your dwelling. If the water seeps through where the connection to the hose is located, consider replacing the gaskets.
Use Common Sense
Practice basic maintenance tasks within your home. Check the back of cabinets, and look under basins for any foul odors or mold. These two things can indicate that there is a leak somewhere in the area. You can always schedule an annual inspection of your homes piping system with a plumber of your choice.
If your home is over twenty-five years old, your plumbing systems decline may be due to the end of its life expectancy. Make sure that all fixtures that are connected to the water supply are checked. This will include checking the water heater, washing machine, hoses, sinks, tubs, faucets, showerheads etc. Anything that uses water in your home should be included in the list of these to check.
Once a leak is detected you must be vigilant. Call on the assistance of a professional immediately, to eliminate the issue from getting worse. Do not wait until water is flowing throughout your home, and you have reached the point of no return.