How To Find Hidden Plumbing Leaks
Leaks are trouble for home and business owners alike. There are no two ways about it. Increasingly high water bills, compromised foundations, damaged walls & ceilings, the list of ways in which water leaks can damage a property is a long one. When leaks are obvious, meaning you can see and locate the source quickly & easily, taking action to repair them is usually quick and simple. It’s sneaky, pesky, hidden plumbing leaks that cause the real headaches, though. That is where the expertise and experience of a company like ours comes in. We’re leak detectives of sorts. A company that was birthed out of the necessity to locate & repair hidden plumbing leaks throughout the Dallas Fort Worth Metro.
Throughout the 20+ years we’ve spent locating water leaks throughout the DFW we’ve developed some great DIY leak location tips to share with you.
Your Water Meter Can Tell You A Lot
For most homeowners the quickest and easiest way of determing the presence of a water leak is to take a look at their water meter. To utilize your homes water meter to diagnose a leak, a small bit of effort is required.
1- Turn off the water supply to your home. To do this, locate your homes emergency water shutoff valve and turn it to off.
2- Turn all taps & faucets in your home to the off position as well. Water consuming appliances should also be turned off.
3- Once all faucets and water consuming appliances are closed/off locate your homes water meter. Watch the meter closely. Is the meter moving? If you notice any movement on your water meter while no one’s using any water in your home, you can be certain that a plumbing leak is present.
The speed of the meter movement is an important detail to note. The faster the movement, the bigger the leak.
Evaluate & Compare Water Usage Month Over Month
Another red flag when it comes to water leaks is a water bill that steadily rises without any good reason. Hidden water leaks are primary driver of unexplained, gradually increasing water bills. A water bill that continues to get more & more expensive without any good reason or increased usage should always be met with questions. There are some other less common reasons your water bill might increase each month. These include visits from friends or family members. Having extra people in your home for a period of more than 2 days would account for a tiny uptick. Even less common reasons include failing or worn down old appliances.
Your Yard Might Be Trying To Tell You Something
Most homeowners might look inward to identify and diagnose fresh water or sewer line leaks, but your yard and the concrete areas surrounding your home might be sending you messages that you’ve overlooked. Outdoor faucets, sprinkler systems, swimming pools & spas, these are all possible leak sources as well. Unusually green patches of gas are a key indicator of a sewer line leak. Cracked cement and wet areas of concrete NOT located near a faucet are a strong sign of a leaking fresh water line outside of your home.
I Think I Have A Leak. What Now?
Most of the tips for diagnosing the presence of a water leak outlined above are relatively simple to implement for any homeowner. However, you may find yourself walking through these leak location tips and determining that you do in fact have a leak. You may be asking yourself, “What now?” Just knowing you have a leak isn’t enough. Pinpointing it’s location, isolating the line that leak is present in, and determining if it is a fresh water or sewer line leak are all imporant determinations to make to have a better understanding of the situation you are facing.
That’s where we come in! Give us a call to schedule an on-site evaluation to confirm the presence of the leak. Once confirmed we can walk you through the location and repair options the very same day!
Metroplex Leak & Line Locators is Mesquite Texas’ leading provider of plumbing leak detection services in Mesquite & the Greater Dallas Metro. With over 20 years of experience we’ve located over 10,000 plumbing leaks in the DFW.
