Water leaks can be destructive in plenty of ways. You may have to bear a financial cost in the form of overcharged water bills that can amount to hundreds of dollars over the years. Furthermore, if they go on undetected, the water damage will add another dimension to the financial costs that you must bear – not to mention the mess it will inevitably create. Therefore, you need to be able to detect leaks around your house early on and take the necessary measures to curtail the damage and fix the leaks.
However, leak detection can be tricky business since a number of leaks originate in places that are hidden from your eyes and are challenging to detect until later. Therefore, we have put together a few tips that will help you with your leak detection efforts around your house so you can call in a professional plumber to take care of it in a timely fashion.
Look Out for the General Signs That Indicate That There Is a Leak
It is true that leaks that originate away from visible attention can be hard to detect for a homeowner. However, there are general signs that you can follow that will help you determine whether there is a potential leak somewhere along your plumbing system, a rising water bill being one of the primary ones.
Although there can be other reasons for a spike in your water bills, the general rule of thumb is if your water consumption has not changed much, but your water bills are still rising, there is most likely a leak somewhere in your lines. This should prompt you to check for leaks around a number of plumbing fixtures in and around your home.
Start with the Faucets
Faucets are most often the main culprit when it comes to water leaks. In fact, homeowners even tend to ignore a dripping faucet as something negligible. These leaks, however, can cause you to lose hundreds of gallons of clean water as well as lead to massive annual expenses in overcharged water bills. Furthermore, another major downside to ignoring a leaky faucet is that your property is exposed to water damage if this goes on unattended. For example, the kitchen fixtures or kitchen floor can easily sustain water damage.
Check the Toilets
A simple leak detection exercise is all it takes to check for any leaks around the toilet. The toilet is another important plumbing fixture where household leaks are likely to originate. Toilets generally consume large amounts of water as it is; a leak around this plumbing fixture will make it worse.
To check if the toilet is leaking, you should start with the toilet tank. Remove the top lid on the tank and listen carefully for hissing sounds. If you are able to detect a hissing sound, congratulations; you have already found the source of the leak. You should now get a professional plumber to come and take it from here. If you can’t detect any hissing sounds coming from the tank, try the food color test. Even if there’s a slight leak in the tank, the food color will reveal it to you as it will leave color marks in your toilet bowl.
Check the Hot Water Tank
After faucets and leaky toilets, the hot water tank is another likely place for the leak to have originated. Check out the pressure relief valve; this could be inside a drain, in which case, you can always acquire the services of a professional plumber. Usually, there will be hissing noises coming from inside the drain that will tell you that there is a leak that needs to be dealt with. Call in a professional plumber and get it fixed as soon as possible.
Check the Water Meter Line
Another likely place can be the water meter line. Locate the shutoff valve first thing, and shut off the water supply for the time being. Now, go on and remove the lid on the meter to observe the dial in it. If the dial is still running, then the leak is somewhere between the meter and the house. Look for any mushy or soft patches of ground as you walk along the length between the meter and the shutoff valve. If you find something like that along the way, you’ve detected a leak. Now, call in a professional plumber to fix this mess for you.
Check Hose Bibs Outside
It can often be the hose bibs outside that are behind the leaks if none of the above leak detection exercises seem to point anything out. So check the hose bibs that are located both at the front and the back of your house. For the next step in this leak detection exercise, you’ll need a screwdriver. You will have to place the screwdriver on the metal piece of the hose bib. Once you’ve set the screwdriver in place, put your thumb on the other end and try to listen for any leaks by simply placing your ear on your thumb. If you could detect any leaks here, promptly call a professional plumber to fix things up.
Call Mesa Plumbing Company
There is a plethora of ways that your plumbing system may develop leaks. They are not always easy to detect, but the above tips will help you when it comes to identifying the most common household leaks so you can acquire professional help in time and minimize any chances of damage. You can always call Mesa Plumbing Company to acquire plumbing services for all your plumbing needs around the house. It is important to carry out regular plumbing maintenance so that these leaks are caught early on. Acquire our dedicated plumbing services to take care leaks and any other plumbing needs around the house, too.