Usually there are two things that alert a homeowner (or business owner) that there’s a leak in the water line.

  1. The water bill is higher than usual.
  2. There is visible sign of puddle(s) of water.

Some homeowners may detect a leak by hearing a soft rushing sound of water behind a wall – and although this is not very common it’s certainly not to be dismissed.

How Do You Begin Checking For A Leak?

If you suspect that you may have a water leak we do recommend that you call in a plumber to find that leak and fix the problem. But if you want to try to get a handle on the situation before you do that, here are some things that you can do.

First thing to do is to check your water meter – this is the best way to identify if you have a water leak or not.

On the face of the meter you will see a “leak indicator” which could be a red triangle, a blue circular item or another shape but if it’s moving – then that indicates that you do have water running through the meter.

If your meter does not have a leak indicator, then look at the sweep hand on the face of the meter. This hand, like the hand of a clock moves very slowly. So, you will want to mark where it currently is, come back in 20 minutes and if that hand has moved, then you know that you have a leak.

Second step is to find out if the leak is coming from inside your home, or outside in the yard somewhere.

  • Find the main shutoff valve that’s in your home and shut it off. This valve is usually in the garage or the basement.
  • After you’ve shut this off, check the water meter to see if the leak indicator or the sweep hand are moving which would indicate that water is still going through the meter.
  • If the water meter shows no movement – then you know that the leak is inside the house
  • If the water meter shows movement – then you know that the leak is outside the house

Following these steps will help you to determine if your water line is leaking.

A professional plumber should be called in to determine the exact location of the leak, what is causing the leak and of course fixing the problem.

If you have any questions about your main water line or are having some problems with it, call Atlantis Plumbing today at 770-505-8570. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.