Water Leaks

Small water leaks often go undetected and become noticed after significant damage has already occurred. Small leaks often add up to many gallons of water wasted and hundreds of unnecessary dollars spent per year on your water bill. You can save money by being aware of how the plumbing systems are running in your home. Stay on top of maintenance and replace poorly operating faucets and toilets as they deteriorate. So many options are available now that are highly efficient, will save you money, and potentially have tax credits associated with their installation.

Here are some ideas on checking for water leaks or issues.

• Turn off all fixtures and make certain that no appliances are running that use water.

• Then check the water meter for flow activity. If the flow indicator is running then it’s likely you have a leak.

• Do a visual check of all your sinks, faucets and tubs. Look for moisture around the spout, handles, fittings and joints. Often fittings or handles are just loose and a turn may solve the issue. If you see leaks it may be a more serious issue or rubber washers have deteriorated.

• Toilets are often a major source of leaks and you can easily check by dropping a few drops of food coloring into the tank. After eight to twelve minutes if the food coloring shows up in the bowl, you have a leak.

• Check the water supply lines on your appliances that use water. Do a visual check of the surrounding area; look for deterioration on the wall or flow.

• Your water heater can leak for a variety of reasons; loose valve, corroded water tank, heating element gasket or corroded fittings or water pipes to your water heater.

• Flooding water will require you to shut off water at the water supply source. This is located inside your home or office and you need to become familiar with it’s location and the proper direction to turn the value to close it. Locate it and mark the proper turn off direction for emergencies.