How do I detect leaks in my home?

The meter is the one instrument that catches every leak past it, whether you can see it or not. Turn off everything that uses water, inside and out: showers, sinks, the washer, the ice maker, the irrigation controller. Then read the meter.

EPA's version of the test is simple: "Check your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter changes at all, you probably have a leak."

Many Valley meters are digital. The City of Chandler says to "observe the flow rate screen for at least 10 flashes. If the number is greater than zero on any of the flashes, you have a continuous leak." On an older dial meter, watch the small flow indicator. If it turns, water is moving. Our water meter leak test page walks through both meter types.

Two cautions from Chandler's guide. Meter movement "can also be caused by things like an automatic pool filler, a leaky irrigation valve, or an evaporative cooler," so account for those before you blame a pipe. And the meter "may not be able to detect leaks in irrigation systems or pools" when they aren't running.

If the meter moves, close your home's main shutoff and read it again. If it stops, the leak is inside the house or past the shutoff. If it keeps moving, the leak is in the buried line between the meter and the house. In many Valley homes the irrigation line tees off before the house valve, so a leaking irrigation valve or line also keeps the meter moving. Not sure where your shutoff is? See how to find your main water shutoff. If you only heard the water before you tested, see why you hear running water in your walls when nothing is on. If the meter still moves with the main valve off, that page walks through the suspects in order.

A silent toilet leak is the most common household leak and the easiest to fix. EPA says common leaks are "worn toilet flappers, dripping faucets, and other leaking valves."

Put a few drops of food coloring in the tank, don't flush, and wait. EPA says: "If any color shows up in the bowl after 10 minutes, you have a leak." Flush right afterward so the dye doesn't stain the tank. Chandler suggests waiting 15 to 30 minutes for a slower leak. Colored water in the bowl means the flapper isn't sealing. EPA recommends replacing flappers "at least every five years." If yours is leaking, here is how to replace the flapper and fill valve.

Open the cabinets under every sink and bathroom vanity. Run your hand along the supply lines and shutoff valves. Look for drips, green or white crust on fittings, swollen cabinet floors and water stains. EPA suggests you "examine faucet gaskets and pipe fittings for any water on the outside of the pipe to check for surface leaks." A slow drip under a sink often shows up first as a musty smell; see what to do about a leak under the sink.

Then check the places people forget:

• The water heater. Look at the base of the tank and at the pipe from the relief valve. See why a water heater leaks from the bottom and why the pressure relief valve leaks.
• Washer hoses and the dishwasher supply. Rubber hoses fail with little warning. How often to replace washing machine hoses covers the schedule.
• The refrigerator and ice maker line. A small fitting behind the fridge can drip for months.
• Hose bibs. A drip at the handle or the vacuum breaker adds up; see why an outdoor faucet leaks.

If the house checks out, go outside. The City of Phoenix says: "Walk your yard. Soggy ground or sinkholes can be evidence of underground line leaks in sprinkler systems." Run the irrigation manually and watch for broken heads, missing emitters and geysers. Check the pool equipment and the evaporative cooler line as well. A wet patch that stays wet when the sprinklers are off points to a buried water line; is a wet lawn a sign of a broken water line? covers how to tell, and how to find a water leak in your yard goes deeper.

When the meter moves and you can't find water anywhere, you have a hidden leak. Watch for these, and see the hidden signs of a water leak:

• A water bill that climbs with no change in how you live. EPA suggests checking a cold month: "If a family of four exceeds 12,000 gallons per month, there could be serious leaks."
• The sound of running water when everything is off.
• Warm spots on the floor or a hot water line that keeps running (see signs of a slab leak in Arizona).
• Stains, bubbling paint or a musty smell. EPA notes that "if wet or damp materials or areas are dried 24-48 hours after a leak or spill happens, in most cases mold will not grow," so a hidden leak that stays wet for days invites mold.

### Why small leaks matter

Small leaks are easy to ignore, and the numbers are worth a look. EPA says "a leaky faucet that drips at the rate of one drip per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons per year," and "a showerhead leaking at 10 drips per minute wastes more than 500 gallons per year." An irrigation system with a leak "1/32nd of an inch in diameter (about the thickness of a dime) can waste about 6,300 gallons of water per month." Fixing the easy ones matters too: EPA says "fixing easily corrected household water leaks can save homeowners about 10 percent on their water bills."

Build it into a habit. The City of Phoenix pledge asks residents to "find and fix leaks during each season or at least 4 times per year." A quick meter check each season takes five minutes and catches a leak before it becomes a bill or a repair.

If you're a City of Phoenix water customer, ask about the city's free water efficiency consultation. It includes "a water meter read and inspection: used to identify and isolate outdoor leaks." It covers outdoor leaks, not what's inside your walls.

If you found a dripping fixture, fix it or replace the part. If the meter says water is moving and you can't find it, stop guessing and have the leak located before anything gets opened up. HQ Plumbing & Air offers leak detection with electronic equipment, so the source is pinpointed before anyone cuts into a wall or slab. We're licensed and insured, we give you a free estimate, and you get the price up front before work starts. If water is actively flowing and you can't stop it, that's an emergency, and we're available 24/7.

Here's the short version. The meter proves a leak exists. The toilets, sinks and yard tell you where it is. Anything left over is hidden, and hidden leaks are worth finding early.