How To Determine If You Have An Underground Water Leak

Thankfully you don t have to be a professional plumber to confirm if you have a water leak underground.

How to determine if you have an underground water leak. From checking the dials on your water meter to the use of a professional underground water leak detector your next underground leak need not be a headache or a mystery to detect. Do you feel like there is a leak happening underneath your house. Check your water meter. 3 mark the rim of the gauge where the needle is pointing if there are several dials mark the one that indicates 1 cubic foot increments.

Here are the steps you can take to detect signs of a water leak. The shut off valve is the operable part of the service line that comes off the ground. If there s a running water sound it could be a leak. Once you ve spotted it shut off the valve by turning the gate valve or the lever handle clockwise.

There are several ways that both you as a homeowner and a plumber can detect the presence of an underground water main leak in your home. To determine if the water leak is in the house or outdoors only for homes with meters located at the street turn off the shut off valve on your home s main water supply pipe. 2 open the water meter s cover so that you can see the gauge. If you see a massive price spike from one month to the next or if your bill increases each month despite your water usage staying the same you may be dealing with a leaky pipe.

In most cases the first indication that your underground pipes are leaking will come from your water or sewer bill. One of the best ways to tell if you have a leak in some part of your plumbing is to check the water meter. To check for a toilet leak add food colouring inside the tank and wait for a few minutes. Shut off all faucets and make sure the dishwasher and washing machine are not running.

2 check for leaky appliances. To check for faucet leaks turn the faucet off and listen closely near the water pipe. Next you should check the water meter dial to see its current position then wait for half an hour before checking it again. Turn off your home s shut off valve.

To do this you ll first have to turn off all the water in your home. It s usually located at the home s front corner. How to detect underground water leak. 4 leave the water shut off for 30 minutes and then see if the needle has moved from the mark.

Next watch the meter and see if it begins to change. If the color reaches the bowl then you have a toilet leak. Noticeable drop in water pressure when using plumbing appliances hissing or splashing noises dirty or rusty water although this could be due to another problem.