Almost every time, every drop of water supplied to your home is ‘metered’ for billing purposes. Thus, the leakage in your water supply can burn a tremendous hole in your pocket too. To avoid getting shocked by the amount of the bill your local utility service charges you for water supply, try out these little simple yet effective ways to detect water leakage in the pipes running to your house. In case you have taken note of the leaks, there are few methods you can adopt to handle an emergency situation before the arrival of your plumber. The faster leaks are detected, the lesser you lose.
Start by checking the pressure valves pertaining to the water tanks. Sometimes they are directly connected to your drain, and thus, the leakage may have started long before it grabbed your attention. The most prominent layman ways of leak detection are looking for whoosh and hiss sounds. They interrupt the ordinary gurgling sound of the water running through the pipes and persist till the leak has been dealt with. Listening for leakage sounds is also the only option when you are unable to reach for the drain pipe. Check the toilet for leaks by loosening the tap and listening for unusual leakage sounds. If you hear any, try and locate it, trace the sounds to the pipe or drain where the leak may be possibly occurring. Even if you choose to call a plumber, doing this step assessing the leakage area greatly solves the problem and reduces time wastage too. You can add some food coloring on the main tank. If the coloring seeps into the toilet bowl, you know the leakage area is near the bottom of the tank, probably at the flap or valve that allows passage of water to the pipes. At this point, you can either do the repair yourself or call your local plumber. Follow this simple step for other toilets, if you own more than one.
Generally, there are meters in every house to indicate daily water supply, if nothing else works, you check the water supply lines. Shut off the valve of the pipe ushering to your home and check for fluctuations on the meter dial. Sometimes pipe valves clogged by dirt and grit may prevent successful shut off. In such a case, you should put on a pair of gloves to remove such coverings. After that is done, turn off the valve again. If the problem lies in the pipes supplying to your home, then the meter will still be running. You cannot rule out the chances of a leaky valve though, especially when your valves are most likely to be rusted or damaged and haven’t been replaced for years.
If you are still not ready to call your plumber, examine the area underneath the valve and check for leakage sounds. Subtle signs such as more algae growth are obvious of water damage. At this point, you can call your plumber.
What is really in hand, at most is water leak detection. Sometimes both assessing the leakage problem as well as repairing need the expertise of a plumber like Detect A Leak.
For more information, visit http://www.detectaleak.com.au/.