Tips on Finding Water Leaks

6/2/2022 (Permalink)

Many of us have experienced leaks at some point in our homes.  It can be an expensive repair if it goes undetected for too long. 

Here at SERVPRO of White Plains, we have put together a few ways to check for the possibility of a leak   

Under the guidelines from the United States Environmental Protection Agency, if you are a family of 4 and using more than 12,000 gallons on average per month, there is probably a leak.  

1. Smell – Follow your nose.   If you smell moldy or musty smells in places that you wouldn’t expect to, chances are there is a leak somewhere.  It could be a small leak of course, but a leak non the less.   Water building up behind a wall, a closet could potentially smell rather musty
2. What does your Water Bill say? -If you have received an exceptionally high  water bill you don’t believe your usage has changed this would be a good time to call your water company.   Some municipalities’ water departments will come out and look for no charge.   Some will come out and look, but if it is nothing wrong on their end they may charge you a fee.  Find out before you have them come out. I received a $1400 water bill one time a month after moving in to my house.    The water company said they would charge me $185 if it wasn’t anything on their end.   They came out and determined one of their lines was cracked causing a leak under the slab. They were giving me the run around about getting the repairs done.  This could have been disastrous, but luckily, I was persistent and made endless calls daily to get them to come out and fix it.   They did and the next month my water bill was an acceptable amount.   Anything that is leaking before the meter is the water dept, after the meter is the home owners.
3. Water Meter – This is a great way to check for leaks without having to call anyone in.   Turn off all of the water throughout your home, make sure nothing is running.  Check the meter and see if it changes at all- you can check right away, and then check again in 1-2 hours later.   If you notice it changes quickly, there is a possibility of a leak on a greater scale.   If it changes after a couple of hours, it might be a small leak.  .
4. Detecting a leak in your toilet- Add a few drops of food coloring to your toilet tank.   Wait about 15 minutes and take a look in your toilet bowl.  If the color you added to the tank is in the bowl, you most likely have a leak.
5. Outside Leaks-  Make sure your hoses, sprinkler system, or irrigation systems are not leaking.   This is easy enough just by walking around your yard, checking hose connections and stepping in soggy grass around inground sprinkler heads.     If this happens, check the hose for leaks, splits, holes, and check the sprinkler heads are on correctly.

Regular inspections can help save you a lot of money! If you find yourself with a leak and have water in your house or damage from water, give SERVPRO of White Plains a call at 914.684.1560