An abnormal increase in your water bill is often a sign of a leak that is quietly appearing in some corner of your home. If you receive an alert from your water supplier after the reading indicating an unusual increase in your water consumption, it is important to act quickly. Detecting where the water loss is coming from is the first thing to do. Once found, you should immediately contact a professional to make the necessary repairs.
Here are our tips and tricks to help you identify the source of your water leak.
Test your water meter
This is one of the best ways to tell if you have a leak in your plumbing. All you have to do is test your water meter. First, turn off all your faucets and water-using appliances and then take a reading from the meter. Make sure the water is not used for a long period of time (at least two hours) and then look at the meter again. If the numbers have changed, it means there is a water leak somewhere in your home.
Check your water consumption history
Your water bill shows an overconsumption? you'll need to act quickly and understand the source of this unusual consumption. Check your previous bills to see if the increase is only for the bill you received after the meter reading. If this is the case and you have not changed your consumption habits, it means that you have a water leak that is responsible for your inflated bill.
Use food coloring
Most water leaks occur in toilets and flushes. They can be the result of a worn or scaled gasket, a faulty valve, a poorly adjusted or defective float, etc. To find out if there is a leak, pour some dye into the tank. Wait a few moments and then check the coloring of the water. If the bottom of the bowl becomes colored, you have a leak.
Inspect faucets and fixtures
If there is no leak in the toilet, check your faucets and fixtures that are connected to your plumbing system. If there is a leak, call a professional immediately to make the necessary repairs, and the troubleshooting water heaters.
Examine joints, connections and hoses
A loose nut, a worn joint or a punctured pipe can leak water. In this case, you must act quickly and repair the defective parts to stop the flow of water permanently.
To detect a water leak on a pipe If you have a copper pipe, you can simply run absorbent paper along the pipe. In case of humidity, you have detected the origin of your water loss.
Locate a leak between the meter and the house
If there are no visible leaks inside your home, check for leaks outside. Look at the pipes that connect your home to the water meter. To do this, first turn off the water shut-off valve and then look at your meter. If it is still running, it is a sign of a leak outside your home. In this case, call a plumbing professional to take care of the necessary repairs.
What tool do you use to detect a water leak?
If you are unable to locate the water leak on your own, contact a specialized company that has the expertise and the right tools to accurately detect any kind of water leak. Otherwise, you can use a detection tool. On the market, there is a wide choice of sophisticated devices that use technology to monitor the temperature of the water flowing through your pipes and faucets.
