As a homeowner, you are prone to experience water leakages from time to time. You may find yourself in a flooding kitchen due to leaking sinks or holes in a ceiling due to bursting pipes. These scenarios are very unpleasant, devastating, and uncalled for.
Damages caused by water are quite expensive for insurance companies. In a single day, they pay around £1.8 million. The prices are higher for those using water meters. Getting the services of a plumber to sort you out is equally expensive.
One in four buildings is down to burst pipes and water leakages. This is according to research done by the Association of British Insurers (ABI). Avoiding water leakages is beyond you and cannot be avoided. However, you can take drastic measures to reduce the damages that it can cause.
Some water leaks are difficult to detect since they are hidden.
Detecting a water leak in your home
Some of the ways you can detect a water leak in your house include;
1. Monitoring your water heater
It is in order to keep checking your water heater. If it usually on most of the time, you are likely to experience a leak in the hot water pipe.
This mostly occurs in the underground.
2. Regularly check your water usage
Be keen to look out for any sudden increases in how you use your water. Water that cannot be accounted for is a sign of a leak.
Engage your water supplier for monthly statements or get an online account. This will help you in monitoring the usage of water in your home.
3. Keep track of your water pressure
Get to notice wherever the water pressure in your house decreases. Water may decrease when taking or filling a bath. This is another way of leak detection.
4. Locating the leak
In the occurrence of a leak, it is good to find out its location. It could be a tap that was left running, a malfunctioning water tank, or a burst pipe. Get in touch with a plumber who will handle all your repairs.
Places to find water leaks
The following are some of the areas known for leak detection in your house. They include;
- Toilets
This is a major place for leak detection in your house. Since they are in usage most of the time, they are likely to leak more. This can be worrying since it will drain your pockets if the leaking continues. If it is a minor leak, you can fix it yourself to cut costs.
- Showerheads
Showers are also used on a regular and almost daily basis. Its parts might start to tore down hence causing leaks. It is therefore important to always be on the lookout for leak detection in the bathroom.
- Appliances
Electronic appliances are things that are used every day in a home. These appliances usually change their original positions from time to time.
This loosens pipes and valves leading to water leaks. Regularly check them to ensure that the attachments are well secured.
- Water tanks and boilers
Keep monitoring the valves that transport water in and out of your water tank. This will enable to detection of a water leak easily. If the leak gets out of hand get in touch with a specialist.
- Water sinks
These are also areas where you can detect leaks. Sinks are used almost every minute in a home. Keep being on the lookout even for small leaks.
How do you detect a water leak outside?
At times there are water leaks outside of your garden area. Some of the drastic measures you can take are;
- Checking the water meter.
- Turn off all the takes to ensure no water is entering your house.
- Check the meter to see if it is still dialing. If it is, then the water leak is outside. If it is not, the leak is inside.
If the leak is outside, begin looking for signs. Lookout for muddy patches in the pipe if the meter is inside the garden. Another indicator of leak detection outside is when the grass is growing better than other areas in the garden.
Detecting water leaks under concrete
Finding a water leak that is under concrete is a daunting task. In case you find it, get to know the significant damage it can cause. Get to find out if it is happening to a certain appliance. If the damage is severe, call in your plumber for help.
If it is a manageable small leak, fix it yourself. First, turn off the water being supplied to the appliance. Fetch the things you need for repairs. If it is a serious leak, turn off the water completely at the stop tap.
This will help in controlling the leak since no water will be going inside your house. Ensure that all the electrics that have been affected by the water leak are turned off.
However, turning off the tap for so long does not stop a water leak. Ensure that the water is regularly turn on to avoid damaging your property.