Did you know that 10% of the homes in the United States have leaks that waste at least 90 gallons of water per day? Your home could be part of the one in ten that are contributing to water waste.
If this is true, you could be wasting more than water. You could be losing money down the drain while destroying various parts of your home with water damage.
This is why you have to be a master at water leak detection. Catching a leaky pipe before it causes unnecessary damage is the key to saving your home, your money, and the environment.
To learn more about how to spot leaky pipes, keep reading.
Trend Your Water Bill
Most of us look at our utility bills and pay them without thinking about it. But, the number on those bills can tell us a lot about what’s going on in our home.
If you trend your current water bill against past ones, you should see relative consistency across the board. There may be some differences across seasons, so you may want to compare to your water bill from a year ago.
Barring any new family members or water-greedy house guests, the numbers will be consistent unless there is a large influx of water use. This ‘water use’ could be a sign of a water leak somewhere in your home.
Watch Your Water Meter
The water meter can be a definitive sign of whether you have a leaking pipe in your home. Follow these steps to determine whether you have a leak:
- Turn off all water faucets in your home
- Ensure that the dishwasher, washing machine, and similar appliances aren’t running
- Turn off the shut-off valve on your home’s main water supply pipe
- Check the water meter and make a note of the current numbers
- Wait an hour
- Go back and check the water meter again
- Compare the original numbers with the new ones
If the numbers on the water meter changed after shutting your water off, this is an indication that you do have leaking pipes somewhere in your home. At this point, you should hire a professional to take a look.
After they assess the damage, you should think about filing a water leak insurance claim. Learn more about how to protect yourself legally.
Check Your Appliances and Fixtures
You may be able to find a leaking pipe yourself.
Check under cabinets and sinks to make sure these areas are dry. Also, take time to look around tubs, toilets, showers, water heaters, dishwashers, and washing machines.
You should have eyes on anything that runs water and make sure that the areas around these appliances and fixtures are dry. If not, you should get a professional to take a look at whether there could be a leaky pipe.
Hire a Water Leak Detection Professional
Even a small leak could cause big problems. It never hurts to have a professional in water leak detection take a look around your home.
To learn more about the things you need to know to protect your home, check out the rest of our blog.
