You might be wondering why your water bill is higher than usual or why you hear running in your pipes at night. This may be due to a leak somewhere in your water supply. Sometimes, these are minor and are easily fixed. Other times, leaks are much more problematic, especially if they are not caught right away. This can lead to hundreds or thousands of dollars spent on correcting the problem. Noticing a leak right away may help you save money and prevent a minor issue from becoming a major one.
Two Steps to Detect Leaks
Step One: Check if the Needle is Moving Within the Water Meter
Locate where the water meter is in your house. If you found it already, you will see a small triangle next to a small needle. The triangle is called the micrometre.
The micrometre will rotate very slowly if it detects a leak. It is called a leak signature.
Step Two: Determine Which Water Line Has the Leak
Most houses have one or two places where you can shut off the water supply. The water shutoff separates the water lines between the house and the street. The water line that comes from the street will have a brass component called the pressure regulator. The device lowers the pressure of the water coming from the street to the house.
That said, simply shut off the waterline that is located in the street. Then, check if the meter is still moving. If it does, then it means the leak is not occurring between the street and the house. Turn the water back on.
Continue to turn lines on and off. You will find the leaking line once you locate a line that still moves the meter even when shut off. Make sure to test the other lines near it to ensure leaks are not happening in more than one line. Once you determine which line is leaking, follow the pipe to the source of the water.
Why Leaks Happen
Leaks often come from damaged hose bibbs (or the valve that connects to the hose). A good rule of thumb is to detach hoses from the hose bibbs or listen to see if there might be running water.
If your hose runs into your lawn and waters trees, it would be difficult to find muddy spots where water might be leaking since the roots soak up the moisture. Sometimes, the rubber washer in the bibb fails, and this, in turn, decreases the ability of the bibb to properly seal. It’s easy to correct this either by yourself or by calling a plumber, specifically an after-hours plumber, when plumbing emergencies happen.
Taking the time to detach your hoses from their bibbs can help you to see if water drips from your house. This, in turn, could save you money if you detect the leaks early enough to where you can fix the problem yourself.
Do not hesitate, however, to call a team of expert plumbers like the ones from Level Plumbing Canberra if needed. Call us at 6188 6088, and we'll take care of your plumbing issues.
