How to Find and Fix a Leaking Water Pipe in Your Home

Have your recent water bills been unusually high? 

In today’s busy world, more and more homeowners are finding that they need to solve everyday home problems on their own. A leaking water pipe can cause significant damage to your home if left unchecked.

To avoid these problems, you should know how to find and fix leaking pipes in your home.

Keep reading for a checklist to begin identifying and fixing a leaking water pipe.

Check Your Water Meter

When there is no water use in your home, you will still notice the water meter dial turning if the leak is ongoing. But if the leak is coming from the pipes leading to or from the meter, you may be able to fix it yourself.

Shut off the water at the meter, then check all the fittings and connections to ensure they’re tight. If you find a leaking water pipe, tighten it with a wrench. If that doesn’t stop the leak, you may need to ask help from plumbing professionals to replace the section of the leaking pipe.

Check Water on the Ground

This is usually the easiest to tell if you have a leaking water pipe. If you see water on the ground, it is essential to find the source of the leak and fix it as soon as possible.

Water leaks can cause many things, such as a crack in the pipe or a loose fitting. Once you have found the source of the leak, you can usually fix it with a simple repair, such as a sealant or a new fitting.

Check All the Fittings and Joints

If a water pipe in your house leaks, you should first inspect all the fittings and joints. Use a wrench to tighten them if they are loose. You might need to change the washers if they are still dripping.

To do this, you must turn off the water to the entire house and remove the fittings from the pipe. Once you have the washers, you can take them to a hardware store to find replacements. Reattach the replacement washers to the pipe and restart the water when you have the replacement washers.

Check Under Sinks and Behind Toilets

Check under all of your sinks and behind all of your toilets. These are the two most common places for a broken water pipe to leak.

If there is a small amount of leakage, you may be able to fix it yourself with some tape or a pipe clamp. However, if the leakage is more significant, you need to call a plumber.

Tips on How To Find and Fix Leaking Water Pipe

You may do a few things to locate and fix a leaking water pipe in your house. Check all the faucets and fixtures in your home to see if they are the source of the leak.

If they are not, you will need to locate the main water shut-off valve for your home and turn it off. Once the water shuts off, you can repair or replace the leaking pipe.

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