Water leaks can lead to large amounts of wasted water, hefty bills and serious damage to your property. Here below are some simple leak detection steps you can follow before calling a plumber.

1. Check your water meter

The easiest way to check for a water leak is to take a reading of your water meter. Depending on whether you live in a house or apartment, you should find your meter towards the front of the property near the front gate, front door or in a service cupboard. In apartment buildings you will find your meter is connected to the main water meter.

Before you take the reading, make sure all taps and appliances that use water are turned off. Then you can take an initial meter reading by reading the black numbers from left to right. Make sure you make a note of the numbers. (Generally the black numbers/white numbers on black background represent kilolitres and red numbers represent litres).

Once you have taken the reading, make sure you don’t use any water for a few hours. The simplest way to do this is to check your meter in the evening before you go to bed and then not use any water overnight. Then you can take a second meter reading first thing in the morning before you use any water (this includes flushing toilets).

If your second reading is greater than the initial reading this suggests that you may have a water leak at your home or business.

2. Look for dripping taps and tap connections

Another step you should add to your water leak detection checklist is to check all your shower heads and hunt for damaged seals around taps and sinks. If you have a tap that drips at a rate of about once per second, you could be wasting over 12 litres a day.

3. Check your toilet

You need to work out if your toilet cistern is constantly running during the day/night. Here are a couple of ways you can check your toilet for a leak:

  • put a piece of paper at the back of the toilet bowl about 10 minutes after flushing the toilet – if the paper gets wet this indicates that you have a leak
  • put a drop of food colouring in the cistern – if the colour appears in the toilet bowl within 10 minutes without flushing, then it is likely you have a leak.

4. Check for dampness and water under appliances

Look around your house or business premises for damp or discoloured walls, surfaces or areas of the floor. Be sure to also check if any water is pooling around or under any of the appliances that are connected to the plumbing. This includes fridges, washing machines, and dishwashers.

5. Check outdoors

Take a look outside in the garden, yard or any other outdoor areas for leaking taps, hoses and sprinklers. Keep an eye out for any abnormally damp areas of your garden/lawn or spots where the grass is greener than the rest.

If you have found a leak or something that indicates a leak you should take action immediately. It is best to contact a licensed plumber. Our leak detection experts can help you locate any possible leaks on your property and repair leaking pipes, taps or toilets quickly before they cause any more water wastage. Contact our friendly team today for rapid assistance with your water leaks.