If you’ve recently received a water bill that is much higher than normal you’re probably wondering if you have a problem? You’re probably right, having a higher water bill than normal is a warning sign of possible leaks around your home. Most people don’t even realize they have a problem until 1 or 2 things happen:
1. They see water coming up or pooling somewhere in the house or in their yard, or
2. They get a giant water bill.
If you’ve received a rather large water bill you’ll need to do some investigating. Now that you know you have high water usage lets look at a few basic things you can do to possibly find out where your water is going.
Lets start outside
Check your outdoor faucets – If you have a garden hose attached to the faucet remove it and see if there is a visible leak when the water is shut off completely. If your outdoor faucet is dripping even if it is a small drip it can make a significant difference in your water bill. If you find a leak call a licensed plumber to repair the leak.
Check your sprinkler system – Make sure that your controls are set appropriately for your yard and the amount of water it needs, overwatering is a waste and will run up your bill quickly. The less obvious problem with the sprinkler system is damaged heads or missing nozzles on your drip system. A broken head or missing nozzle on the drip line can dump a ton more water than it should and over time make a marked rise in your water usage. You should also turn off the sprinkler system then go to the valve box in the ground, feel the valves and listen to them to make to make sure you don’t hear any water moving through them when the system is off. Again if you find a problem here call a licensed plumber or sprinkler repairman.
But if you’ve checked these items and still see no sign of a leak its time to take a look inside at some common problems.
The most unnoticed water leak in your home
The number one fixture in your home that can cause a leak you don’t see is your toilet. A small water leak from the tank into the bowl can go unnoticed for quite some time. However, a slow drip is constantly dripping 24 hours a day and that can add up to wasting hundreds of gallons of water. How do you check for this kind of leak? It’s actually quite easy, check out our video below to see how you can use food coloring to easily see if you have a slow leak in your toilet. Often times a broken flapper is the culprit, which can be easily replaced.
If you’ve gone through all these steps and still can’t find a leak call you can check your water meter or call the Albuquerque Water Authority for a water audit. This is normally something that is provided free of charge to help you find the issue. Remember no leak is too small. If you find even a small leak in your home make sure to repair it or call a professional plumber to repair right away. Water leaks only get bigger over time if you don’t address them.