Leak Detection

Finding Leaks

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Even the smallest leaks in your house can add up to gallons of wasted water and potentially hundreds of dollars per year on your water bill. Unfortunately leaks are not always obvious and can go a long time before being noticed. You can save a little money by doing some basic tests on your own before calling in the professionals. Here are a few do-it-yourself ways to check for leaks in your house.

To check for leaks

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Undetected leaks can be costly. Even one small drip in a faucet can waste more than 60,000 gallons of water each year. Figuring out if you have a leak is as easy as checking your water meter:

• Turn off all fixtures and make sure that no appliances that use water are running.
   

• Locate your water meter, which is usually found inside your house, in your basement, crawl space or utility room.

You will see a small triangle, called a flow indicator, at the top of the meter. If this indicator is moving, you may have a water leak somewhere on your property.

In some meters, if you see a leak indicator showing (a faucet with a drip) it means that there may be a leak somewhere on your property. 

Where to look for leaks

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Indoors

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Faucets of sinks and bathtubs. 

Water usually leaks from the spout and is easily detectable. But it may also be leaking from on and off handles or loose fittings. Sometimes replacing the rubber washer is an easy fix if determined to be the source of the leak.

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Toilets.

 Check the toilet by dropping a few drops of food coloring into the tank. After ten minutes if the food coloring shows up in the bowl, the toilet is leaking. Toilets are the most common source of leaks in the house.

Other places to check are washing machines, humidifier, pipes and shut-offs.

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Outdoors

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Common places to check for a leak outdoors are faucets, garden hose and connections, lawn sprinkler system, swimming pool and fountains.