Would You Know If You Had A Leak?
July 22, 2022
Food Coloring Test:
An old plumber's trick uses coloring dye or even milk to track whether a leak may be present. Insert the dye into a toilet or under the sink drain trap and flush several times or let the water run for 2 minutes, the more water you run the faster the dye may appear. It may take some time to see any dye come up, but look for it in floor drains, the basement, or any areas of your yard. If no dye appears, that means your plumbing system is working properly.
Water Bill:
You should be looking at your water billevery month anyways to see how much your home is using and keep on top of your bills, but also to monitor any irregularities with home water use. If your bill has anyextreme spikes in use and you feel your habitshaven't changed, it's safe to assume you have a leak or plumbingissue. Do some basic diagnostics and look around your home for any signs of flooding and call a professional right away.
Check The Water Meter:
To check your water meter you'll first have to turn off your home's water and make sure no dishwashers or washing machines are running. Once it's all off, watch your meter to see if it changes right away, if it is changing immediately you most likely have a quick moving leak. If nothing happens right away leave it off and come back in 2 hours, if you're losing water over a longer period of time the leak may be smaller and if no changes occur int he meter you're all good!
Green Grass?:
If one area of your grass is looking more green than usual or your lawn is too wet in spots it could be connected to a leak in the plumbing. Make sure to check throughout the whole year,not just the warm months!
(P.S) If you are thinking of selling yourhome, call a plumber to do a full inspection to prevent anyleaksor issues that could affect the sale of your home.