You might have a plumbing leak and not even know it, especially if the leak is a small one. There are ways to tell if your plumbing is leaking in areas where you wouldn’t see it, such as underground. If you suspect you have a plumbing leak, watch for the signs below listed by Five Star Plumbing. We can also come to your property and inspect your plumbing system to ensure it isn’t leaking.
Read the Water Meter With No Water
Turn off all the water in your home. Don’t run any faucets, flush the toilets, take a shower or bath, or have the dishwasher or washing machine running. If you have a refrigerator with an icemaker, turn off the ice maker, too. You want to keep the water on at the main but not have any water coming into your home at all. Read the meter at the moment you shut everything off. Read it again in two hours. If the meter has moved, you have water leaking from somewhere.
Check Your Water Usage
Don’t just pay your water bill when you receive it. Check it thoroughly each month to see if you notice any changes in your water usage. If your usage suddenly increases, yet you haven’t had company or run extra water yourself, you probably have a water leak. It’s best to chart your usage each month (or two months depending on how often you receive a water bill) so you can see any unusual differences before they become a huge problem that leaves you with a huge water bill.
Check Your Toilets
Most water leaks come from toilets. Inspect the area at the base of your toilets to make sure there isn’t any water or signs of seepage underneath your bathroom flooring. Then, take some food dye and put a few drops into the toilet tank (the top part). Choose a bright color so there’s no mistake at the end of this test whether your toilets are leaking. Wait about 10 minutes and lift the toilet lids to see if you see the food dye in the toilet bowl. If you do, your toilet(s) is leaking.
Check the Outside
Finally, check your hoses and the grounds throughout your front, side, and back yards to make sure nothing is dripping and/or wet. If your hoses leak at the spigot when you use them, you’re wasting water without even realizing it. You’re also wasting water if the outdoor spigots do not turn off completely. Check the ground all over your property to make sure water isn’t seeping up from underneath it. If it is, you have leaking pipes or a septic or sewage leak.
Call Five Star Plumbing if you live in San Antonio, TX. Our numbers are 210-446-4570 and 361-400-0244, respectively, and we’d be happy to inspect your plumbing system and fix any leaks.
