It’s no secret that leaks are a major nuisance, but detecting them early can help you save money and prevent water waste and damage.
One of the best ways to spot a leak is to check your water meter. Typically the meter is located at your home’s street and it has a small dial or wheel that moves when it detects water flow. A plumber in Adelaide can also help identify any leaks that occur in your home.
1. Check the Water Meter
Leaks in your home are a significant source of water waste. In fact, the average household loses 17 gallons of water a day due to leaks from pipes and plumbing fixtures and fittings.
The best way to find a leak is to check the water meters in your home. These meters record your water usage in cubic feet, like a car odometer records mileage.
Start by locating your water meter; they’re typically near the street and under a metal or plastic lid. Turn off all water using appliances and toilets, then read the meter dial.
If the meter has a flow indicator (a small red triangle or diamond), watch it closely for movement. If the indicator moves, there’s a leak in your house or yard.
A leaking pipe can cause damp spots on floors, walls and ceilings. These can lead to mold and mildew. If you notice this problem, call a plumber to fix it as soon as possible.
2. Look for Discoloration
If you notice discoloration on your walls, it may be an indicator that water is leaking somewhere. These stains usually look like off-white or yellow spots, and they’re caused by the moisture in your house getting trapped behind walls.
This type of discoloration is also sometimes accompanied by warping, bubbling paint, or wallpaper that’s starting to bulge out of the wall. If this is the case, it’s an early warning sign of a leak that needs to be addressed by a professional plumber.
Detecting leaks is crucial to keeping your home safe and healthy. It can prevent major problems down the road and save you money in the long run by reducing your water bill.
3. Check the Ceiling or Walls
Water leaks in your home are a major pain. Some leaks are easy to see and notice such as toilets and showerheads but others are hidden and won’t attract much attention until they cause extensive damage.
One of the best ways to check for leaks in your home is by looking at the ceiling or walls in the rooms you usually spend time in. Rooms that you don’t use frequently such as storage areas will probably have a leaky ceiling so it’s important to check
them for signs of damage before it gets too bad.
If you see discoloration, bubbling paint or bulging wallpaper then it is likely due to a leak somewhere behind the wall. It’s important to have the leak fixed as soon as possible so that you don’t have to deal with even more damage in the future.
4. Check Your Appliances
Appliances like the refrigerator, dishwasher, clothes washer and dryer draw a lot of electricity that can add to your monthly utility bills. It’s important to check these appliances in your home for leaks to keep your bills down and to avoid costly repairs later on.
Most appliance manufacturers use sophisticated equipment to perform leak tests before releasing their products into the market. These tests test for leaks in the interface between gas, refrigerant or water and the appliance.
During this testing, technicians use different methods to detect leaks and determine the cause. Leak testing is a time-consuming process, but it ensures that appliances never exceed performance specifications and environmental law limits.
If you own a home with natural gas appliances, it’s important to inspect them on a regular basis for leaks and other problems.
