Specialists in underground water services 01623 438279

How to check for water leaks in your home

Oct 5, 2022 | 0 comments

It’s been hard to miss the news about increasing energy bills over the past few months, and the energy crisis looks to continue. The increase in energy bills doesn’t include an increase in water rates. In fact, water rates only increase on average by 1% each year. So it’s important not to ignore an unusually high water bill and mistake it for part of the energy crisis.

What to do if your water bill is high

If your water bill seems unusually high, it’s important to check for leaks. A small water leak can actually waste as much as 15 gallons a day, and a toilet leak can result in a loss as high as 100 gallons a week! Take a reading of your water meter dial, and then turn all water faucets in the home to ensure you’re not using any water. Wait around 30 minutes and recheck your water meter dial. If the dial has moved, this could indicate you have leak in the house.  

If you are not on a water meter, you can stay alert to leaks around the house, such as wall discolouration, bubbling paint or wallpaper, a dripping sound or a musty smell.

Why water leak detection is important 

Water loss and leaks are not only frustrating for homeowners and business owners but costly as well. 

A limited amount of damage can grow to much more if undetected. An undetected water leak could cause the problem of excessive moisture, which is the root cause of issues with dampness and mould, possibly putting families at risk.

Water leak detection allows homeowners and businesses to quickly repair a problem before it gets out of hand, saving a great deal of trouble and expense later on.

How to repair a mains water leak 

If you detect a water leak in your home here at Brays Pipelines, we can provide the ideal solution for detecting leaks and repairing your mains water supply. Once a leak has been detected and found, we will advise on the best method to get this fixed and ensure your mains water supply is uninterrupted as much as possible.

How to make savings on your water bill

If it turns out you don’t have a water leak, you could benefit from making just a few easy changes around the house to both conserve water and drastically reduce your home’s water bill over time:

  • Turn off the tap when you clean your teeth. A running tap uses up to nine litres of water a minute.
  • Use a watering can in the garden instead of a sprinkler or a hosepipe. Garden sprinklers and hosepipes left running can use between 500 and 1,000 litres of water an hour.
  • Check your property regularly for leaks on your internal plumbing.

How being more water efficient could help you save on your energy bills. 

  • Use the washing machine less – save money and water with a full wash load.
  • Cutting down your showers to just 5 minutes – you will use less hot water and lower the amount of gas and electricity you will use.
  • Use every space in the dishwasher before putting on each cycle.

Helping you source the problem of water leaks 

A water leak detector can reduce the risk by alerting you to problems quickly, so you can act to prevent severe damage. Our expert engineers can find leaks at your property using the latest water leak detection technologies such as Ferret Leak Locator, Sonde and acoustic testing. Using leak detection technologies means we can typically locate and fix the problem with minimal disruption to you.

You can contact our experienced water engineers here if you suspect a water leak.