How To Find A Water Leak: Signs, Causes & Solutions

Can you hear a drip, drip, drip in the middle of the night? Spotted a puddle or a damp spot? Hear an ominous hissing from behind the wall or in the ceiling? If you want to know how to find a water leak before it goes bang and causes an awful lot of trouble, a huge mess, damage to your home and expensive repairs, you’ve come to the right place.

Why do I have a water leak, anyway?

Even if you get your plumbing done right the first time thanks to the services of one of the best local plumbers in your area, it’s a sad fact that they can sometimes spring a leak.

You may detect water leak problems because:

Your foundation has shifted: It may look stationary, but your home does move a little over time – and your water pipes and joints may not like it!

Your water pressure is high: Before you turn on the tap, that water is sitting patiently at high pressure – and if it’s too high, the wear and tear will be greater.

A tree root is causing trouble: If an underground water pipe has a tiny crack in it, a tree root will be attracted to it – and then the trouble really starts!

Your pipes are corroded: Time is unkind to all of us, including your water pipes which can be slowly eaten away by the minerals found in water.

The temperature keeps changing: Water pipes can begin to crack when the temperature changes from season to season, year after year after year.

How do I find a water leak in my house?

To find water leak problems at your place, you can do a very simple test that only takes 10 minutes or so.

1. First, make sure every tap and water-using appliance and fixture is turned off, both outside and in.

2. Head out to your water meter, and find the indicator that shows when water is being used. It should be stationary.

3. As water use accumulates over time, the numbers on your water meter tick over. Write down the exact number.

4. Go inside, make a cup of coffee, and when you’re finished, head back out to the water meter and see if the number has changed at all.

Did you detect water leak issues?

If you’re still not sure you have a water leak, have you noticed any of the following?:

Your water bill is too high: Has your water bill suddenly climbed since the last one even if you know how to save water and you haven’t changed your habits substantially? Chances are you’re shedding water somewhere.

You’ve spotted a wet spot: Inside your home, water should only be where you intend it to be. So if there are any damp spots on the floor, the walls or the ceilings, that’s an easy way to find water leak problems.

Seeing mould?: A leak may also have stained the spot over time, or even caused mould and mildew to start growing.

You can hear water: If you can hear dripping water sounds, the sound of noisy water pipes or any type of undiagnosed hissing, that’s probably a water leak.

Your water pressure is too low: If your water pressure has suddenly dropped, or even if it has dropped over time, your plumbing system could be leaking somewhere. If only one particular tap is affected, the leak is probably close. If it’s only hot water taps then maybe your hot water system is leaking.

What if the water leak is underground?

While it’s easier to tell if leaks are occurring inside and around your home, underground water leaks often make very little noise and display harder-to-detect signs. Often, a musty smell, sporadic growth of mould or a particularly green patch of grass out the back can indicate that a leak has occurred beneath the surface. While damage from water leaks inside your home becomes obvious over time, water leaks outside have a hidden cause of damage. Damp soils can attract termites. So ignoring leaks outside could mean you end up finding termites in your house!

If you’re worried about a potential water leak inside, outside and underneath your property, you’re going to need one of the best plumbers in the business to provide professional water leak detection so it can be fixed. Best Plumbers Club uses a rigorous research and review process to identify only the most reputable plumbers near you. Get in touch today to find a plumber or to advertise your business.