How to detect a leak in your home
Unsolved Mystery! Case of the hidden leak
Leaks may go undetected in your home over a long period of time, costing you hundreds of dollars per year in precious, clean water. Something as simple as a leaky toilet can add up to 350,000 litres of wasted water in a year - that's enough to fill up a swimming pool! A worn washer, change in alignment, or even a grain of sand is enough to cause a leak.
How can I find a leak in my home? Look, listen and learn.
Look
To see if there are leaks anywhere in your home follow these steps:
- Locate you water meter. If you have a water meter you will most likely find it in the basement near the furnace or hot water tank.
- Before heading to bed at night ensure that there is no water running. (Remember the humidifier mounted on the furnace.)
- Take a reading before you go to bed and another early in the morning. Compare results to see if any water was lost during the night. You can also watch the red dial beside the number screen to find a leak. If there is no water running in your house and the red dial is moving, you have a leak.
To check your toilet for leaks, add a few drops of food colouring to the toilet tank. Dye tablets are also available through Strathcona County Utilities. Wait 15 to 30 minutes. If there is dye in your toilet bowl, you have a leak.
Email watersaver@strathcona.ca or call 780-467-7785 to request your dye tablets.
Listen
Leaking faucets often create a trickling sound. Often a new new washer is all you need to repair a leaky faucet. However many times water flows though the toilet tank silently, which is why leaks are often overlooked. Usually, leaks flow quietly into the overflow pipe or occur in the plunger ball (also known as the tank stopper or flapper), where a slight amount of scale, corrosion or even a grain of sand can cause a leakage.
Learn
Local hardware stores offer helpful suggestions for leak repair methods and replacement options.
Troubleshooting
toilet leaks
Problem
The water level in the toilet tank may be too high, causing it to escape through the overflow pipe.
Remedy
A simple adjustment to the float arm. Once corrected, the float arm will keep the water about a centimetre below the top of the overflow pipe.
Problem
Sometimes water is wasted when it leaks past the plunger valve from the tank into the bowl.
Remedy
Either the flapper valve needs to be replaced or the valve seat needs cleaning or replacement.
Checking your toilet several times a year for leaks, and making repairs quickly means savings on water usage and waste water treatment. Please do your part to conserve water every drop counts!
Further information
780-467-7785
watersaver@strathcona.ca
Last updated: Thursday, March 14, 2013
Page ID: 2165