Detect a Leak
Helpful Tips to Detect a Leak
To check for leaks in your home, you first need to determine whether you are wasting water and then identify the source of the leak. Here are some tips for finding leaks.
- Check your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter changes at all, you probably have a leak.
- Identify toilet leaks by placing a drop of food coloring in the toilet tank. If any color shows up in the bowl after 10 minutes, you have a leak. (Be sure to flush immediately after the experiment to avoid staining the tank.)
- Old or won-out toilet flappers (e.g., valve seal) can cause leaks. Flappers are inexpensive rubber parts that can build up minerals or decay over time. Replacing the, can be a quick and easy fix for your water woes.
- Examine faucet gaskets and pipe fittings for any water on the outside of the pip to check for surface leaks. Old and worn faucet washers and gaskets frequently cause leaks in faucets.
- A leaky faucet that drips at the rate of one drip per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons per year. That’s the amount of water needed to take more than 180 showers!
- A shower head leaking at 10 drips per minute wastes more than 500 gallons per year. That’s the amount of water it takes to wash 60 loads of dished in your dishwasher. Some leaky shower heads can be fixed by making sure there is a tight connection between the shower head and the pipe stem and by using pipe tape to secure it.
- If you have an in-ground irrigation system, check it each spring before use to make sure it wasn’t damaged by frost or freezing. An irrigation system that has a leak 1/32nd of an inch in diameter (about the thickness of a dime) can waste about 6,300 gallons of water per month.
Tip:
Don’t forget garden hoses! Check your garden hose for leaks at its connection to the spigot. If it leaks while you run your hose, replace the nylon or rubber hose washer and ensure a tight connection to the spigot using pipe tape and a wrench.
Leak Still Flowing?
If you’ve already determined you have leaks and you find these step-by-step solutions aren’t enough to stop them, it might be time to replace your leaking fixtures. When you consult with a plumbing professional and look for the Water Sense label when considering a new toilet, faucet, or shower head, you could increase your home’s water efficiency.
