Finding Water Leaks Around Your Home
If you have even a small water leak in your home - from a leaky toilet or a dripping faucet - you want to fix it, fast. Follow these tips to find leaks in your home, and prevent a sky-high water bill.
If you have even a small water leak in your home - from a leaky toilet or a dripping faucet - you want to fix it, fast. Follow these tips to find leaks in your home, and prevent a sky-high water bill.
If your water bill seems unusually high, it's time to check for leaks. If you have an inside water meter (usually in the basement near the water heater or main turn-off valve) checking for leaks is easy. (Unfortunately, if your water meter is outside, under the ground, you cannot read your own meter and won't be able to use the following methods.)
Watch this video for helpful tips and some easy-to-do methods for spotting toilet leaks, then follow the tips listed below.
The flapper is a large rubber seal at the bottom of the toilet tank. If you see or hear water moving in the toilet bowl when it has NOT been used recently, you may have a flapper leak.
To check for a leak:
Examine the water level in the tank. If water is draining into the top of the overflow pipe, the ballcock valve needs adjustment or replacing. If you are not sure if the water is spilling into the overflow pipe, place some finely ground pepper or baby powder along the walls of the toilet tank. If the powder moves toward the center, you have an overflow leak.
Adjust the refill tube above the water line, 1/4 inch over the overflow pipe. Clip the tube to the overflow pipe to stabilize it so it does not insert deeply into the overflow pipe. The refill tube should never be "stuck down" into the overflow pipe.
Hose bibbs and outside faucets are often left in a "ready-to-use" state in the spring and summer for activities such as watering the lawn or garden. But if you plan to leave your home for an extended time, be sure to turn off outside faucets from inside your home, to be sure no one else can use your water. If you can't find the inside valve, please contact us.
Hose bibbs and outside faucets are sometimes left on for long periods of time. Common garden hoses can use from 630 to 1,020 gallons per hour. Since our water and sewer rates are based on an your average daily consumption, your bill could increase substantially if you use a lot of water outside.
Property inspections of plumbing equipment may be requested to determine where there may be a plumbing-related issue in your home. These are performed by field service representatives not plumbing inspectors. Residential customers may request this service for a fee by contacting customerservice@wsscwater.com or calling 301-206-4001. CAP customers may request this service for free.
Learn more about Property Inspections
If you have concerns about a large bill, and need help looking into it, contact us weekdays between 7:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. at 301-206-4001, 1-800-828-6439, TTY 301-206-8345, or customerservice@wsscwater.com.