Home Leak Detection Techniques You Should Know

Household leaks can contribute to a massive spike in your water bill. In fact, according to research, the average home can lose between 7.6 m3 and 76 m3 of water because of leaks in a single year. Some household leaks are obvious, especially when your faucets are dripping and when your water heaters are leaking. However, many small leaks can go undetected for long periods of time, because they are hidden behind walls or underground.

In most cases, the water meter will only verify significant leaks, and not small drips in and around your home. The Anta Plumbing master plumbers recommend that you perform the following checks to detect small leaks in different areas of your home:

Supply Lines

Leaks in the supply line between the home and the water meter can be difficult to detect, especially since the line is buried deep below the surface. In some cases, the water that leaked from the pipe will travel back to the meter along the pipe, and the meter box will be wet. It could also enter the house at the point where the pipe exits the ground and enters the home. Wet soil is usually an indication of a leak in this spot, as the water will seep to the surface. If your supply line is leaking, you should call a licensed plumber to handle the leak detection and pipe repair on your behalf.

Fixture Leaks

A slow dripping faucet can lose up to 3.7 m3 per year, but fortunately, it is real simple to repair. The repairs needed will depend on the type of faucet you use in your home, namely ceramic discs, cartridge, ball or compression valve types.

Toilet Leaks

One of the most common sources of household leaks (which often goes unnoticed!) is the toilet. Research has shown that 20-35% of all residential toilets least at least a little. Major toilet leaks are easy to spot and diagnose, thanks to the gurgling or hissing sounds they make, even when they are not used. You can diagnose a leaky toilet by checking the water level in the tank, or by using the dye test method to see whether the flapper valve is leaking.

Humidifier Leaks

If you have a forced-air central heating system, you probably use a whole house humidifier, which might be attached to the furnace. Unfortunately, the overflow drain can cause actual leaks to go undetected for a very long time, resulting in much water wasted. Be sure to turn off the water supply to your units when you are not using it.

Fountain and Pool Leaks

One in every twenty pools leaks, and even a pinhole sized leak can lose over a million liters of water per year. If your pool is losing more than 0.32cm of water or more in 24 hours, or if tiles are falling, your deck is cracking, or there are cracks and gaps in the shell, or if algae forms soon after treatment, you may well have a leak.

If you suspect that you may have a leak anywhere in your residential plumbing system, call Anta Plumbing. Experts in leak detection, we are able to find and repair leaks in no time, saving you money and saving water to help our beautiful planet.