The earlier you detect a water or plumbing leak, the more money you save! Not to mention the hassle of repairing the damages and cleaning up the mess! But how do you know if you have a water leak? Here are the signs
Check Your Water Meter
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The most efficient way to tell if you have a plumbing leak is to check the water meter. To do this, you need to turn off everything that uses water on your property. Make sure nobody is using any water, then check the meter. If it is still registering, you have a leak.
If it doesn’t change, take note of what the meter is registering and check back in a few hours. Just make sure no water is used within that time frame. If it has changed when you check back, there is a leak somewhere on your property.
Check Your Water Usage
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency if a typical family of four uses over 12,000 gallons of water a month, there is probably a plumbing leak.
Monitor Your Water Bill
It is easy just to pay the water bill every month without giving it much thought, but it is in your best interest to take a few minutes and take a good look. Is it higher than normal? Has there been a steady increase over the past few months? Most of the water pipes are behind the scenes, behind the wall and under the ground, which means you may not notice a leak.
Do You Have Any Food Coloring?
The easiest way to check the toilets for a leak is to put a couple of drops of food coloring in the tank of the toilet. Wait a few minutes, if you notice the color appearing in the bowl, it’s leaking. Toilets account for almost 30 percent of water usage.
Vigilance Is Your Best Weapon
It is important to regularly check your home or business for water leaks. Inspect all exterior water pipes, warm areas on the floor, the sound of running water when everything is turned off, peeling wallpaper, loose tiles, wet areas on the lawn when it hasn’t been raining, a musty odor, or unexplained mold or mildew.
