Leaks can cause of host of problems in your home. Not only can they waste water and cost you money, but they can also cause big problems in the unseen areas of your home, including mold, rotting, and eventually drywall collapse.
At Garvin’s, our plumbers would rather give you a little advice than to have you call us in a fearful frenzy. Here are some ways to detect leaks so that you can have us take care of them before you need an emergency plumber at 3:00am.
Watch Your Bill
If you see a sudden spike in your water bill, it could be because this was the first month you used your sprinklers or you had guest over for a week. But if everything else about your water habits has remained the same and your bill goes up, it’s likely that you’ll need to give a plumber a call so that we can help you find the leak.
Watch The Water Meter
This one is actually kind of fun. Turn off all of the running water in your house, including sprinklers, faucets, washing machines, dishwashers (also, don’t do this right after a shower to ensure that your water heater has had time to refill). Then go outside and take a look at your water meter. Unlike an electric meter that’s always spinning a little to keep things like the refrigerator powered, your water meter should be stopped. If it’s spinning quickly, you’ve got a bad leak somewhere. If you leave it off for a couple of hours and come back to find that it has moved, you’ve got a slow leak that should still be taken care of.
Watch the Toilet
It’s an old trick, but a good one. Put a few drops of food coloring into the toilet bowl tank and wait 15 minutes. If the color shows up in your toilet bowl, you’ve got a leak, and we’d love to help you with it so that you don’t waste any more water.
Watch Outside
Remember, you’re not just using water inside. Check sprinkler heads to see if you’ve got one that’s broken or putting out so much water that it’s running across your sidewalk. Also check exterior faucets, as they’re more likely to crack due to the freeze/thaw cycle every winter.
Watch the Skies! (or at least the ceiling)
Always be aware of the ceiling that is directly below a tub, shower, toilet, or sink. If you start to notice yellowing or sagging in this area, there’s a good chance that your fixture is leaking. It might not seem like a big deal, but little leaks can turn into big leaks quickly, which could cause your ceiling to collapse. And no matter how small the leak is, any water that leaks into your home could cause a mold problem that’s very hard to fix. If you think you might have such a leak, give your local plumbers a call.
If you notice any of these problems that are beyond your control, we invite you to contact us as soon as possible before the situation gets worse. Garvin’s has the best plumbers around, and we look forward to hearing from you!
