Fix a Leak Week 2016 is here, and as we celebrate day two, we’d like to share some of our favorite tips on how to check your home for leaks. For those of you who are not familiar with what Fix a Leak Week is, it is an observance held every March that is dedicated to reminding Americans to check both their household fixtures and irrigation systems for leaks. So, with that said, our first area of focus this week is to offer some advice on how you can do so:
- Start by checking your water meter before and after a timeframe where water is not being used by anyone in your home to see if the reading changes. If it does, that means you probably have a leak somewhere that you can’t see – if you didn’t, the reading would have remained the same.
- During periods of colder temperatures, the EPA explains that a family of four generally shouldn’t use more than 12,000 gallons of water per month. Thus, if your water usage exceeds this (relative to the size of your family), there’s a good chance you have a leak.
- To determine leaks outdoors, start by taking a look at your garden hose. When turned on, there shouldn’t be any drips where it connects to the spigot, but if there is, you may need to replace the hose washer and ensure that the connection is more secure.
- Surface leaks can be found by inspecting pipe fittings and faucet gaskets – if there are any noticeable signs of water on the outside of pipes, we bet you have a surface leak.
- A trick for discovering toilet leaks is to place a small drop of food coloring into your toilet tank. After about 10 minutes, check the bowl and see if any of the food coloring is visible. If it is, you have a leak. Note: After checking for a toilet leak, make sure you flush right away so that you limit your chances of staining your tank.
In honor of Fix a Leak Week, we highly encourage you to inspect your home for leaks that you may have missed. If as you go you do notice any warning signs, or if you’d like some additional help in the detection department, give us a call at 714.630.8766. We are Orange County’s pipe leak detection and repair experts and can find and repair leaks in no time to limit the amount of water that is wasted.
