The two greatest causes of water leaks inside a home are running toilets and excessive water pressure. Some steps are listed below with details about what you can do to trace it.
Listen for running water
Locate the main shut-off in your home and place ear to service line or pipe. Do you hear an audible flow of water? This may indicate leaks if all taps are off inside of residence.
How to use your water meter to detect leaks
- Locate the City water meter, typically located inside your residence. The most common location is directly after the main water shut-off and before the valve for your outside irrigation.
- Confirm all taps are turned off inside and outside of residence. While looking directly down at the top of the water meter, locate the small red diamond to the left side of the face. If this red diamond is rotating, it indicates you have a leak.
- You may wish to track the readings on the water meter dial during a time when the residence is empty or faucets have no use. For example, write the numbers down at the end of the day and again in the morning before any water is used. If the numbers have increased, you may have a leak.
Check water fixtures
- Are there any taps dripping inside or outside your home? (A faucet dripping at only one drip every two seconds will waste more than 1,000 gallons per year.)
- Is there a toilet running inside your home? Check the toilet bowl to see if there is water trickling down at the back (faulty flapper valve). Use dye tablets (available at your local hardware store) and place in your toilet tank to assist in detection. Lift the tank lid and check to see if the water level is up to the top of the overflow tube and wasting water (may require float adjustment or new assembly).
Check your Pressure Regulator Valve
Pressure Regulating valves come preset from the factory at 50-55psi for home use. Use a pressure gauge and put on the outside house tap (hose bib). If the outside tap is tee’d off before the regulating valve, you will get a reading indicating the street pressure supplied from the City. If the outside line is tee’d off after the regulating valve the gauge will indicate your regulated pressure (50-55psi).
Alternatively you can use the cold water line that feeds the washing machine. Locate the cold supply line inside the home where the washing machine is connected, turn off the water supply and install the pressure gauge, now turn on the water. This gauge reading will give you an indication of the inside household pressure. If this reading is greater than 55psi, the home owner should have pressure regulating valve adjusted or replaced.
