How to Check for Water Leaks in Your Home

I've worked for a Water Department back in 2006-2007 in the Customer Service Department. All my calls were regarding peoples' bills and answering questions that people may have.

I would receive a lot of calls from customers wondering why their water bills are so high and about 85% of the time the customer had a water leak that they did not know about.

In this lens, I'll explain how you can check if you have a water leak in your home and help save money.

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Here are some helpful plumbers books if you would like to fix the leaks yourself.

When a customer calls me wondering why their water bill is so high, I first start off asking them some important questions:

1. Did you have company over and may have used more water than usual?
2. Have you watered your grass? If so, did you water it longer than you usually do or may have forgotten to turn the water off?
3. Did you do extra cleaning in your home which uses more water?
4. Have you heard your toilet running?
5. Have you filled up a swimming pool?

Now if the customer answered "No" to all the questions above, I then proceed with having them do a 1 Hour Leak test. Here are the steps:

1. First turn off all water in your home and do not use it for 1 hour.
2. Go to your water meter (Usually located in your front yard at the sidewalk) and read your meter.
3. Write down whatever the meter is reading and wait 1 Hour. (Remember to not use any water at all during this time.)
4. After 1 hour, go back to your water meter and see what it's reading. If it's saying something different than what you have written down, then you have a water leak. If it's reading the same then you do not have a leak in your home and should start monitoring your water usage carefully.

Now sometimes it's hard to find the where the leak is in your home, so you'll need to hire a plumber. Your local Water Department does not pay for repairs so you'll need to contact a plumber. Make sure you get the leak fix quickly to avoid a higher bill and also creating the leak to become bigger.

Once your leak is fix, call your local Water Department and tell them about your leak and they may credit your bill and compare your usage from last year to see how much they'll credit you. Be prepare to give them your plumber receipt for proof of repairs.

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Sometimes hiring a plumber can be expensive. If you spot where your leak is, you can try fixing the leak yourself. Here are some products that can help you.