The quick detection of a water leak in your property can often mean the difference between a minor repair and major damage. There are a number of ways you can check if you have a water leak in your home or office; in this post, we will share these with you.

Water Leak Early Detection Tips

For some people, checking for a water leak is simple because you can either see the leak for yourself or you can see the resultant effect of the leak somewhere in your property. However, if you have no physical evidence, yet you feel there may be a leak in your home, there are still some initial checks you can carry out yourself to find out whether or not you have a leak in your property or not.

Using Your Water Meter

One of the most effective ways to establish if you have a leak in your plumbing system is to use your water meter. Although some of the more modern units come with a leak indication sensor built-in, many homes don’t yet have these installed in their homes. Another way you can use your water meter to check if you have a leak somewhere would be by taking a water meter reading, then waiting a few hours without using any water, then taking a fresh reading. If the reading changes, and you didn’t use any water, then you will have a water leak somewhere in your home.

How To Find the Leak

Once you have established whether or not you have a water leak in your property, you now need to try and find the source of the problem. Here are a few steps to take to help you try and find where the leak is located.

1. Find the shut-off valve for your property’s hot water system and use this to shut off the hot water. Usually, these are located next to the hot water system or can be located on the outside of your home for solar systems. This will identify is the water leak is on the hot water or cold water.

2. Isolate your toilet at the isolation tap which can be found next to the toilet or sometime inside the toilet cistern. It is a good idea to do another meter reading test which can rule out if your toilet is leaking through to the pan.

3. Another suggestion to test for toilet leaks is to fill the cistern with some food dye, once you have done this wait 20 minutes without flushing the toilet and if the water in the toilet bowl has changed colour then you can be sure you have a blind cistern leak.

4. If you have reticulation setup for you gardens from your mains water supply this can also cause a water leak, even though the retic is “switched off” it can still pass water through a faulty solenoid. Best way to be sure your retic isn’t leaking is to find the main water isolation tap for the retic and switch it off.

If you cannot find the source of the leak yourself after checking the internal or external piping, then you can call upon the services of a plumber who can then perform a leak detection service for you. In most cases, they can detect and diagnose the issue quickly, and offer a price for the repair service on the same day they visit.

Here are a few of the most common sources of water leaks in a property.

1. Leaking Taps

Usually relatively inexpensive to fix and quick to spot. Generally speaking, a worn rubber washer is the underlying cause, and they can be bought from most local hardware or DIY stores however we recommend using a licenced plumber.

2. Leaking Toilet

A leaking toilet can be a major source of wastewater in a property. Even the smallest of leaks can add up over time. Thankfully, the majority of leaking toilets are quick and easy to repair.

Leaks caused by inlet valves – If the inlet valve on your toilet is cracked or worn, then water will constantly flow from the tank into the toilet bowl.

3. Expansion Valves for your Hot Water System

If your hot water system has not been serviced in the previous 3 years the valves can deteriorate and corrode causing them to constantly leak which can also damage your water heater. If any part of your hot water system is leaking or discoloration of the valves it is a good idea to have the system serviced by a licenced plumber.

4. Other Water Leak Sources

Other things to look out for are discoloration stains or warping on your walls, woodwork, ceiling or floors. Condensation is also a type of water leak, and although it is relatively common, if you have excessive condensation in your home, it may lead to damage on your floors, ceilings, walls or woodwork.

In Summary

The exact location of a water leak in your property might not always be obvious. Some leaks can start in a place then flow quite a distance before they are visible or before they cause visible damage. Because they are delivered under a system of pressure, the water you use to drink and wash with can be very obvious to spot. However, with wastewater, it is transported by gravity and can be much harder to detect.

If you think you have a leak in your home, getting a plumber to do a leak detection service is often the quickest and easiest way to find and fix the issue before it escalates further and causes any more or long-lasting damage to your property.