Plumbing leaks are a problem that no homeowner wants to deal with. But if you do have a plumbing leak, you definitely want to identify and fix it sooner rather than later. Allowing a plumbing leak to persist can mean more damage to your home as time passes.
If you’re wondering how to detect plumbing leaks in your home, you’re in the right spot. We offer plumbing service in Doylestown, PA, and can help you with any plumbing services, big or small. You can keep reading to learn five ways that you can identify plumbing leaks even if you cannot see them.
Test Your Water Meter
One of the easiest ways to detect a water leak is by using your water meter. First, you want to turn off all faucets in your home. This includes your shower, your washer and your dishwasher. Then go outside and read your water meter. Write down the reading, and then check it again a couple of hours later. During this period of time, don’t use any water in your home. Don’t even flush the toilet. If the reading changed and went up, you may have a leak somewhere.
Check Your Water Pressure
You can test your water pressure one of two ways. The first is by using a pressure gauge that you can pick up at a local hardware store. You turn off all sources of water in your home and then connect the gauge to a single faucet to get a reading. However, this only helps if you knew what your water pressure was before. If you think your water pressure is low, you can give us a call with the reading. It will give us an idea of whether or not you have low water pressure compared to what you should have.
But you can also just monitor the water pressure on your own without having a gauge. If you feel like your water pressure is lower than normal, give us a call. Your intuition is usually right. You can narrow down whether it is a problem with your hot water or your larger plumbing system by first turning on your cold water and getting an idea of what the water pressure is like. Then turn the cold water off and turn the hot water on. If the hot water pressure is significantly lower, then it may be a problem with your hot water tank. If the pressures are about the same, then you may have a larger problem.
Sounds of Running Water
Turn off all of your water faucets and water appliances in your home. Then listen for the sound of running water. You may hear a leak in a pipe in your wall or even your toilet running when no one is using it. Any sound of water running when you don’t have a faucet or appliance on is a sign of a leak. Keep in mind that these can be difficult to hear through your walls, ceilings, or floors. If you suspect you have a leak but cannot hear running water, you should still give us a call since this isn’t a foolproof way to identify leaks.
Water Bills
You may not pay much attention to your water bill each month. If the price is around the same, you may pay it and keep moving down your list of bills. But a leak can show up on your utility bills by way of higher water usage. If you can look back and see that your water bills have been creeping up over time, a leak may be to blame. You may also notice that your water bill went up significantly one month and then stayed higher. This is also a sign that you have a plumbing leak.
Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling does what’s right for our customers. Schedule an appointment today for plumbing services.