How to Find a Water Leak in Your Home

1. Compare your water bills

A bill that rises without a change in how you use water is the first hint. Compare against the same months in earlier years.

2. The water meter test

Turn off all water use in the house, including the ice maker and irrigation. Find the water meter and note the reading or check whether the small leak indicator is spinning. Wait an hour or two without using any water and look again. Movement means water is going somewhere.

3. Test your toilets

Add a few drops of food coloring to the toilet tank and do not flush. If color appears in the bowl within 15 minutes, the flapper is leaking.

4. Check under sinks and around appliances

Look for damp cabinets, stains, soft spots and corrosion at supply lines, the dishwasher, the washing machine and the water heater.

5. Listen and feel

Running water sounds with everything off, warm spots on the floor, and a musty smell can point to a leak in a wall or under a slab.

6. When to call

If the meter test shows a leak and you cannot find it, a plumber can use listening equipment to locate it. See leak repair and detection.

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