Spring has sprung! And after a cold winter some of your underground water pipes may have sprung a leak too!
Main water lines are the pipes that bring clean water to your home from your community water line. These pipes bring water for your plants, shower, drinking and anything else that needs water in your home.
Leaving a main water line leaking can cause health and financial problems. Here’s how to know if your main water line is leaking.
Rising Water Bill
A rising water bill is an indicator of a leak, especially when you haven’t used excess water recently. A substantial water main leak will be noticeable on your bill. An increase of several hundred dollars from the same time last year will be an obvious indicator. If you’re connected to city water, you can look at your water meter to give you another clue.
Even if you’ve been using extra water for gardening your beautiful spring flowers recently, it shouldn’t change your water bill too much.
Average household leaks cause up to 10,000 gallons of water waste per year. Ten percent of homes have leaks that waste more than 90 gallons per day. And even basic leaks from a faucet in your home could be the result of problems with your main line.
Don’t let your money go swooshing down the drain. Fix your leaks as soon as you notice them to save money. An experienced water leak detection plumber can test to determine if your leak is related to the main water line.
Low Water Pressure
Low water pressure can be caused by many different types of leaks, but a main water line leak is one of the most common.
How do you know if you have low water pressure? Here’s a little test to check and make sure your intuition is correct — turn on the water in your shower and then flush the toilet. If the shower stops running or slows to a trickle when you flush, then you have low water pressure.
Another way to check if you have low water pressure is by looking over your water meter. Inspect the meter before you begin a two hour period of using no water, and then survey it again after the two hours is up. If the meter changes at all then you probably have a leak.
Cracked Foundation
This one is a serious problem. If you have a leak, water can seep through the ground and get to your home’s foundation. This can cause cracks and eventually make your house unsafe.
If you are noticing wet spots, there might be a leak in your main water line. Don’t just leave them be or try to do a quick fix. Waiting to correct the problem could cost a lot more money later on…major structural cracks can cost anywhere from $10,000 or more to repair.
If you have any of these symptoms of a main water line leak, get it diagnosed as soon as possible.
Fixing it can be costly, but waiting and having to fix your foundation or other property damage will cost a lot more.
Call the plumbers in plaid, because we’ve got a main water line special for you.
