Home Improvement Blog

Is you water bill escalating for no apparent reason?  Do you have unexplained low water pressure?  Here are a few tips to find out if you have a punctured water pipe in your home.

• Go to your water meter (in most houses they are in the basement, near the furnace or hot water heater.)  Mark where your indicator is.  Don't use any water for two hours (make sure to turn off the automatic ice maker too.)  Then check the water meter again.  If the indicator has moved, you probably have a pipe leaking somewhere.    
• Now, inspect all exposed pipes in the basement, closets, faucets, behind dishwasher, laundry machine & under sinks.
• Rubber washers & gaskets in faucets may be worn down, which is easily fixed.
  
• Look for drops of water coming from pipes, ceiling or walls.
• Look for warping, mildew or discoloration on walls & furniture, especially in the basement.
• Buckled or expanded pipes, brass/copper fittings.   
• Corrosion or rusted pipes, shut-off valves & metal fittings.  Rust will most likely start at the shut-off valves or fittings.  Corrosion could also be a sign of a problem with the water itself. 
• If two uncomplimentary metals are used together on piping, it could cause leaks.  
• Green grime on pipes, shut-off valves & brass or copper fittings.
• The precise location of a leak may not be immediately obvious.  A leak could start at one spot, then travel along the pipe for some distance before spilling down and causing visible damage. 

If you do find a leak you could give it a quick temporary fix with electrical tape, but your going to want to replace the pipe, fitting or valve as soon as possible to prevent further serious damage.  You could also stop up the leak temporarily by clamping a material like thick leather tightly to the pipe with a radiator hose clamp.

If you are not sure what you are doing, we don't recommend trying this quick fix yourself.  Instead, make sure to call a professional.  We hope this information is helpful to you.