Taking time to identify domestic water leaks, which are often invisible and difficult to find, can cause great inconvenience. In addition, the impact on water consumption is enormous. Liters and more liters that could be destined for the use of families are lost in the midst of unregulated discharges and damaged pipes.
Waste creates a problem for the whole society, but it can also directly affect your pocket. The volume that is lost in leaks is marked by the hydrometer. Thus, it is computed on your water bill and can make a dent in your budget.
You can act before the problem takes on a greater proportion. Instead of waiting for significant increases in the bill to investigate if something goes wrong, how about performing regular tests on your home’s pipe network to prevent headaches? In this post, you’ll find out how to do that!
What are the risks of an unidentified leak?
Problems from leaking water can be a real headache for the whole family. Below are some of the most common disorders.
1. Test the toilets:
To do this, you need to follow the following steps:
- Dry the dishes in the toilet;
- With a piece of thread, ink or toilet paper, make a scratch in the dry area of the toilet, just above the water;
- Wait 30 minutes;
- If the ink is covered, or the thread or toilet paper is wet, there is a leak.
- Attention: to do this test, wear rubber gloves.
2. Check the pool:
Leaks in swimming pools can also be great villains. To find out if there is water loss, mark the current water level with a tape. After 24 hours, under normal conditions, the pool should not lose more than half a millimeter of water.
You can also do the bucket test. On one of the steps of the pool, place a bucket with a rock to secure it. Place water at the same level as the water and mark the bucket and pool levels. After 24 hours, the pool cannot be below the bucket level. For Gutter Cleaning Click Here
3. Watch for signs of infiltration and moisture
Infiltration and moisture on walls and floors help to report leaks in the pipes that distribute water in your home. Take the test below to confirm the suspicion:
- Close all faucets and do not use the restrooms;
- Lock the water box float and mark the water level;
- Wait two hours and check the water level;
- if the level has dropped from the mark, there is a leak.
4. Check all water inlets, even external ones:
Some faucets and hoses in the residence can be supplied without the intermediation of the water tank, receiving volume directly from the external network. In these cases, look for the concessionaire that provides water services in your city to receive guidance. Do the test:
- Fill a glass of water;
- Close the registry;
- Open a faucet and wait until the water stops flowing;
- Put the glass full of water in the mouth of the faucet;
- If the faucet sucks the water, there is a leak.
5. Use a leak locating device:
One of the devices that provide this service is the Geo phone. It works with ultrasound and is able to identify sounds that are emitted through water pressure in leaking pipes. For this test and with other specific equipment to identify water leaks around the house, it is necessary to hire a specialized professional. Here are some other tips to find water leakage.
What to do after confirming a leak?
The tip is not to delay looking for a specialized professional who can perform the repair. The agility in solving the problem makes a lot of difference. As we have seen, a 2 millimeter leak in a pipe in your house is capable of wasting 96,000 liters of water in a month. Better not leave it for later, right?
After the repair, take the hydrometer reading at the same time for three days to make sure the problem is resolved.
And if the leak is on the street, how to proceed?
When the leak occurs outside the residence, the responsibility for the repair passes to the concessionaire that operates the supply network.
Whenever you identify an occurrence of this type, you must notify the company that provides the water service to arrange for the repair.
Here, we’ve put together some suggestions for simple and quick tests that you can do yourself to identify water leaks in your home and stop wastage once and for all.
Avoid account scares! Carry out inspections and tests and, if you suspect a leak inside the property, call a specialist to repair it. We count on you!
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