Plumbing Tips

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Checking for Leaks

Leaks are often the cause of an unexplained increase in consumption. The most common leaks are toilet leaks. A single running toilet can waste hundreds of gallons of water in a single month. Other leaks can include a dripping faucet or a break in the service line between the meter and the residence. There are several ways in which you can verify if a leaks exists.

Toilet Leaks

>Place a few drops of food coloring in the toilet tank. Do not flush the toilet for at least an hour. If the food coloring escapes into the bowl, you have a leak. This type of leak is easily repaired by replacing the flapper assembly.

Service Line Leaks

Turn off the main water valve coming into the house (usually located where the service line enters the residence). Take a reading on your meter, and also check the leak indicator (a red triangle on the face of the meter). If the leak indicator is moving, you are losing water; however, if the indicator does not move at the time you are taking the reading it does not mean that you do not have a leak. A slow leak will not register with the indicator. Wait at least two hours and take another reading on the meter. If the numbers have changed, you are losing water. A plumber may need to be contacted. If the numbers have not changed, then it is possible that you have an internal leak.

Other Leaks

To check for leaks elsewhere in the home, you can individually turn off the valve to each faucet one at a time and take a meter reading. Wait for at least two hours and take another reading on the meter. If the numbers have changed you are still losing water and further investigation is needed