Leak Detection Tips for West Seattle Homeowners

Households in the United States waste almost 1 trillion gallons of water each year. That averages out to nearly 10,000 gallons of wasted water per household, and to make matters worse, ten percent of US homes have leaks that end up wasting at least 90 gallons of water a day! To help combat this drastic waste of water, the United States Environmental Protection Agency has their annual Fix a Leak Week every March. This yearly event promotes leak detection awareness by offering leak detection events, contests, and demonstrations nationwide. However, you don’t have to wait until next March to do your part and check for leaks around your home. 

Sometimes water leaks may be hidden or difficult to find, but there are a few things that you can do at home in order to detect and find them. 

• Look for any dripping faucets or valves when the water is not in use or turned off. A leaking pipe or fixture is a tell tale sign that there’s a leak in your system.
• Check your water meter and take note of the reading. Make sure you do not use any water for at least 30 minutes or for as long as 2 hours. Re-check the water meter and if the number is different, then that means that you have a leak. 
• Look at your monthly water bill. A recent increase in water usage could be the result of a leak developing in your plumbing system. 
• In colder months, monitor your monthly water usage. Your water usage during the winter should be pretty static and is a good way to gauge what normal usage looks like for you and your family. If the water usage starts to increase on your water bill, but your family hasn’t changed their water habits, it’s likely that there’s a leak.
• Check possible toilet leaks with food coloring. If your toilet is constantly running that could mean that you have a leak. Start by dropping one or two drops of food coloring in your toilet bowl tank. Wait at least 10 minutes before checking, but if any color has gotten inside the toilet bowl, then that is a sign that you have a link.

After using these leak detecting tips, the next step is to fix any leaks you found. Sometimes all you need to do in order to fix a leak is to tighten a spigot or check that a gasket is in the correct position. For leaks that are hidden or hard for you to reach, that’s when it’s time to call in the  professionals. Trusted Plumbing & Heating are like no other plumbing company when it comes to providing leak detection and repair services. The next time your West Seattle home has a leak that just won’t quit, call Trusted Plumbing & Heating.