Most homeowners are pretty good at guesstimating their monthly utility bills. So many never look at the actual bill until it is time to make the payment. But when you click on that email or open the envelope and see an astronomical number, you are sure there is something wrong. However, your thoughts are about a clerical error, or a broken meter, or that you got someone else’s bill. Your mind never even considers that this bill could be correct. And after a call or message to your water provider, you are saddened to learn that this is how much you owe. But what you need to be concerned about is locating the massive leak that has your water bill skyrocketing.
A Simple Search
For your water bill to increase substantially, there is a large leak somewhere. And you need to locate it as soon as possible. A huge water bill is not due to a few drips in the kitchen sink or an outside hose bib. You need to be looking for a lot of water. Start by checking any rooms in your home that you do not use regularly. The list could include a spare bathroom, the basement, or even the garage if there is a water line running to a utility sink. Also, look around your water heater and any spare fridge that might have a water dispenser that is leaking. Even check in extra bedrooms and storage spaces for signs of water leaks in the walls and ceiling. These are all possibilities of large leaks that might have gone unnoticed.
The Water Meter Test
If you did not locate any apparent leak, you can check for a hidden leak somewhere in the walls of your home or even under its slab foundation. You will need to have access to your home’s water meter for this test. First, turn off all the water inside your home, including faucets, showers, appliances that consume water, and any hoses or outside fixtures. Look at the meter and record the reading. The dials or digital numbers should remain constant to show that no water is flowing into the house. If the dial’s small red triangle is turning, you now know that you do have a leak.
Even if the dials look to be stationary, note the reading and wait for one to two hours, being sure that no one turns on any water anywhere inside or outside of your home. When you return to the meter, the reading should be the same as it was when you noted it. Even if it changed only slightly, there is a leak.
Leaking Toilets
Leaking toilets can be tricky because you never see a puddle of water. The leaking water goes down the drain, and the tank refills itself automatically. If you can see your water meter turning slowly, shut off the water supply valve below each toilet in your home. If the water meter stops moving, you know that the leak is in one of your toilets. And something as simple and affordable as a new toilet flapper will repair the issue. To determine which toilet is leaking, turn them on one at a time and check to see when the meter begins to move again. That is the leaking toilet.
If the issue is not a simple toilet leak, it is time to call in a leak detection expert. Call us to schedule an appointment with the pros at Action Air & Plumbing. Our experts use moisture sensors and sound amplification tools to located leaks without destroying the walls and floors of your home.
