Not all leaks manifest in pools of water, dripping, or running toilets. Those are clear evidence that water and money is being wasted. What about leaks that you can't see or hear. These leaks may come from underground pipes, or in other locations that are hard to notice. Testing to see if you have a leak, is the first step in correcting any problems with water leaks. These tests can be done to help reduce the costs if you have to have a professional plumber come in to assist you, repair or locate leaks.

Atlanta plumbers recommend that you go through the house and shut off all water. Faucets, washers, sprinklers, even ice machines need to be turned off. Once done, go and locate the water meter for your home. In the city, this is located close to the street, in an in-ground box. If you are having trouble locating it, a phone call to the water company should be able to help you. After you remove the lid to the water meter box, write down the numbers that are currently showing. You will also see a small triangle that will spin, even with the smallest amount of water moving through it. Wait for an hour and see if the number has changed. If it has, water is still going to the house and being used. The difference between the new number and the first number is the amount of water leaking.

Most homes have a water supply line that runs from the water meter to the house. Shutting this off and wait an hour. If the numbers are increasing, then you have found your leak. Houston plumbers say that the leak would be between the meter box and the house. If the numbers stopped, then the leak is further inside the home. You may also want to note if the difference between the readings is the same. For example, when you did the first test you found that you were loosing 150 gallons of water an hour, but when the supply line at the house was shut off, you only lost 75 gallons per hour. That would mean that you have a leak inside and in the supply line.

If you are looking for leaks inside, Dallas plumbers recommend that you go through and shut off the water supplies to all appliances and faucets, one at a time. If the numbers are still going up on the meter, that means that the leak is on a system that you have not or cannot shut down. You may find different faucets will reduce the amount of water lost, make notes of this and continue shutting off water to each fixture.

This is a time consuming process and that means that it would cost you a great deal of money to have done. If you cannot isolate the leak, take all of your notes and contact a professional plumbing service. Plumbers will be able to take the work that you have done and quickly apply their own experience to isolate the leaks that may be present in your home. Having done the first steps yourself and provided them with detailed step by step process, you will have taken a good bit of the time and expense from the job. Your little bit of effort can save you money on service calls and in your monthly water bill.