Top Tips for Accurate Leak Detection

One of the most torturous sounds at night when you are home alone is the sound of dripping water. Not only is it very awful and annoying it also affects your sleep pattern.  In traditional Indian households, the sound of a leaky pipe is considered a bad omen as it is believed that just like the lost water, you would lose money too – a true fact considering the added money you would be paying as your water bill. It is also considered irresponsible behaviour from the part of the homeowner as water conservation is a major environmental issue around the world. Taking all these factors into consideration, homeowners have to ensure that at the slightest hint of losing excessive water, leak detection should be made and a certified plumber brought in to correct the situation. Following are a few tips that will help you identify the leak successfully.

Switching off all Water Supplies

The first step in your leak detection process and one which can help in determining if your house has a water leak, is switching off all the water supply for everything from your bathroom to your kitchen.  If you have already identified the faulty pipe, apply a pipe repair clamp which is usually a rubber sleeve to put over the leaky pipe and then bolting a two-part clamp. Please note that the pipe repair clamp is a temporary solution. If you do not know if there is a leak at all, check your water meter to verify.

Meter Box Reading

The next step for leak detection involves you to find your meter box which indicates your water usage and the flow of water inside your house. This meter box is usually situated in front of your house on the sidewalk or is attached with the main line for water supply in your house. In that case you should simply follow your main pipeline in order to successfully reach to your meter box. On reaching, first check the small triangular meter which indicates the flow of water. It should be still as no one is using water; however, if you find it moving then you possibly have a leak. The next thing to check is the the actual meter hand. If you find that the hand is moving then you possibly have some leakage in your system of pipes. In order to rule out the factor of slow leaks as well in your leak detection process you have to ensure that you note the position of the hand of your meter and check after 10-15 minutes and if you find a change then you have a slow leak in your system.

Cut off the Main Supply Water Line

The next step in leak detection process is to turn off the water from the service line. This will cut off all water supplies to your house. After shutting down the system you have to go and check if the dials are moving on the meter. If they are not moving then you probably have a leak inside your house. However, if you find that the dials are still moving then the leak detection process indicates that there is a leak between the service line and the main line to your house.

After tallying your findings, the next most obvious step will be to call in a certified plumber who will verify your leak detection findings again and find an optimal solution to the problem permanently. With the above-mentioned steps and regular maintanence of your plumbing network, any homeowner should be able to top of all plumbing issues particularly leaks.