Underground water leaks are extremely dangerous and can take a chunk out of your wallet without you even knowing. It is important to locate leaks and have them repaired by a local plumber as soon as possible, but how do you find an underground leak? Following these steps will help you sharpen your underground leak detection skills and identify leaks before they waste gallons of water.
Turn Off Any Running Appliances
You first need to turn off any running appliances that use water before attempting to find a water leak. Washing machines, sinks, and other appliances should all be off and even disconnected if possible, and you should also raise the bail wire on your ice maker. The one thing you shouldn’t turn off is your main water shutoff valve by the water meter. This will cease all water flow and, in turn, prevent you from being able to detect leaks.
Look for the Common Signs
The next step in your quest to find an underground leak is to look for some of the most common signs a pipe has burst underneath your home. Knowing where to look can help you pinpoint signs like water pooling and the soft sounds of dripping water. Keep an eye out for:
- Soggy or wet patches of soil
- An area of vegetation growing faster than the others /li>
- Sinkholes /li>
- Decrease in water pressure /li>
- Contaminated water supply /li>
- Abnormally high-water bills /li>
These signs may either be few or far between, not visible, or impossible to notice. So how can you perform your underground leak detection if you don’t have clear visual evidence? Fortunately, your water meter provides ample ways to proceed.
Check Your Water Meter
Finding an underground leak can be done by taking note of the status of how much water you’re consuming, which is indicated on your water meter. In this case, you do want to turn off your home’s main water valve. Some water meters have a leak indicator — a small red, blue, or white triangle — that tells you when the house is using water. If this indicator is spinning, it means you have a water leak.
If your meter doesn’t leak, you can still complete your DIY underground leak detection by using your math skills. Write down the current meter reading after turning off the water supply. Come back in 30 minutes to an hour. If you notice that the number has gone up, you likely have a water leak underground.
“Water Wasters”
Sometimes, homeowners think they have a water leak due to higher-than-normal water bills. Although this indicates a water leak, you may also be leaking water in ways you can control. Ensuring that you turn off water wasters — products that may be easy to leave on or commonly leak water after usage — like your hoses, drip systems, and sprinklers, can keep your water bills low and stop you from wasting gallons upon gallons of water.
Don’t Let Your Leaks Fester — Contact Bumble Bee Plumbing ASAP
Using your underground leak detection skills to find out where leaks occur is fantastic, but always remember that the point is to solve the problem. That’s where our water leak detection services in Phoenix come into play. Not only do the experts at Bumble Bee Plumbing know how to find an underground leak, but we will also use enzymes to clean drains and repair water pipe leaks, gas leaks, and any other plumbing leaks you may have at home.
Contact us today, and we’ll send out an expert plumber to identify the source of your leaks and fix your pipes before they take a toll on your wallet.
