Reliable Water Leak Detection Guide

A water leak in your home may be a big problem, or it can be a small one, but the one thing that doesn’t change with the scale of the issue is how irritating it can be.

When you’ve got a “drip, drip” sound that just won’t stop, this can keep you up at night. And if it’s going to be an expensive problem to solve, you should have even more motivation to deal with it.

If you have a leak in your home, you should ask yourself these questions to see what kind of issue you have.

Why Should You Care?

One mistake that a lot of people make with leaks is underestimating the scope of the problem. A little water leaking out doesn’t seem like much, but don’t be fooled.

Just the leak alone can cause a loss of between 2,000 to 20,000 gallons of water every year that you still end up paying for.

Beyond that, if the leaks occur in pipes in ceilings or walls, they can cause water damage to these areas.

Which ultimately turns in to another added expense for you to deal with if you don’t like crumbling walls or ceilings in your home.

Also, a leak is a sign of a pipe on the road to breaking, and once that pipe does burst you have a very big, very expensive problem on your hands.

How Do Your Track It Down?

Solving a leak means first knowing where it is. Some lucky homeowners can see a leak right on a faucet and fix it with a wrench.

Other homeowners need to conduct an inspection of the home if they can hear a leak but not see it.

The toilet, water heater, water pipes, and sewage pipes are all candidates for inspection.

You can also gauge how severe a leak is if you think it’s a big one. Try shutting down the water in your home, and then spend 10-15 minutes watching your water meter.

If your meter is still measuring water being used, this means you have a more serious leak.

How Do You Prevent Leaks?

The best way to deal with an expensive, arduous repair is to simply not allow a problem to get to that point in the first place.

Leaks can often be addressed quickly and cheaply if you catch them early enough.

Take some time and inspect your pipes on occasion, or have an expert do it if you’re not feeling confident.

You can also help your pipes out by being kinder to them and lengthening their durability.

“Hard water,” or water that is high in minerals, can shorten the lifespan of your pipes because the minerals can corrode the pipe.

High pressure on water has a mechanical effect on pipes that can eventually damage them so shifting down to a lower pressure can also help.