Ever think something may be wrong with your house, but you’re not quite sure what? Maybe you have been wondering if people have been leaving the water running, or maybe there was a change to the amount the water company has been charging you. Could it be that your sprinkler system is running on off days/hours? Or could it be that somewhere in your house there is a water leak? It is important for you to determine if there is a leak in your house and where to find it. Here are tips when looking for pipes leaking.
Water Bill
If your water bill is the same rate but appears to be going higher with no apparent extra use that you can determine, you may have leaking. You can call your water company and determine if anything has changed on their end or if they are having a problem with the meter. They may come out and check the meter to make sure it is working properly. If they do, and it is working properly, it is time to continue looking around your house.
Foundation
Check around your foundation to see if there are any cracks that have begun to appear. If you find standing water or cracks, you will need to get an assessment to see if there is a leak under your home. Additionally, you might want to see if your problem is actually improper water drainage from your roof. You might need to move the gutters/downspouts out farther. You can check your landscaping to ensure that any water that accumulates is directed away from the foundation of your home. A review of your drainage system for your house and landscaping could fix your problem. If this is also not the case, it is time to look around inside your house.
Interior
You can take a walk around your home and look for obvious signs of water damage. You might notice that certain areas of your home smell musty, or you might see visible mold or mildew. If you don’t see mold, you might see water stains or damage to your walls, ceiling, or floor. You might find standing water, hear a hissing/whistling sound, or see bubbles coming from one of your pipes. The water that you see might not be clear.
After you determine if any of your pipes are leaking, you can see if this is something that could be fixed by yourself, or if you need to call a professional to fix your leak and potentially do a larger assessment of your issue.
