An unexpectedly high water bill is never a good thing to get. Finding out why your water bill spiked is essential to preventing more wasted water and in turn, wasted money. When you have a consistent water leak in your home, the city will be notified, and they will send a letter to inform you of the spike in water usage. Unfortunately, the leak has usually been in progress for some time before you receive the letter, so here we will talk about what to do if you find your water usage spike, and what can be done to prevent prolonged leaks.
What to do if I receive a letter informing me of a leak?
The first course of action is to try and find the source of the leak. The most common cause is from your toilets. Using toilet leak detection dye tablets is a great way to rule out the commode. Simply drop a tablet in the tank and wait 15 minutes. If the water in the bowl turns color, you have a leaky toilet. If the water doesn’t change color, it’s time to move on to the next step. Homes usually have a valve that will shut down the water to the home. This valve is located outside the house and needs to be shut down. Once the valve is off, check your meter. If the meter is still turning, you know you have a leak in your main service line, and this will require professional help to locate and repair. If the meter stops turning when the valve is off, you know it is somewhere in the house, and it’s time to get into the crawl space. Here is a list of things to check in and around the home:
- Toilets
- Irrigation should be isolated to rule it out
- The service line from street to home
- Check pipes under the home in the crawl space
- Check hose bibs
What causes water lines to leak?
The main cause of water lines leaking is age. As the pipe gets older, it is more susceptible to cracking or breaking. Here in California, we are blessed with an amazing climate but also cursed with the extremes of dry to wet seasons. This causes the soil to expand and contract, causing more stress on the pipes. Earthquakes are another issue we have here in this beautiful state. Although a big earthquake is rare, even small shakes can cause a pipe to break. Roots are another cause of leaks in waterlines. If your line is in the way, a root will just push it aside as it grows, and in turn cause it to crack or break.
What can I do to prevent a leak?
Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do to prevent your main service line from leaking. But, there are a few things to prevent other leaks, and also be informed early if you have a water leak. As discussed above, the toilet is the usual suspect when it comes to wasted water. Periodically testing your toilet with dye tablets is good practice to prevent a prolonged waste of water. These days, there’s an app for everything, and water leaks are no exception. Moen makes a good leak detector device that will shut off your water if it detects a leak. Another good option is to use a sensor made by Flume, and have alerts sent directly to your phone.
If you would like to know more about this subject, or have a leak you need taken care of, call Yorkshire Plumbing. We have many years of experience finding and repairing leaks in and around the home.
