You typically use no more than 12,000 gallons of water *** month, but even *** small leak can waste as much as 10,000 gallons of water *** year. So if you suddenly get *** sky high water bill, how do you find that invisible leak? Ok. I'm going to take you right through this step by step. Nice and easy. First thing you want to do, shut off all the faucets in the house, come into your laundry room where I am, make sure your washer dryer is off, make sure your dishwasher is off. That's number one. Now we're going to go outside. You want to find your water meter, sometimes it's in your basement, other times it's outside attached to your house or this one happens to be right outside of this house. And you see these numbers right here. These numbers move whenever you use water. So I want you to come outside. Look at the number, walk away for an hour if you come back and that number has moved, it means you have *** leak. Other water meters have *** dial right as seen here. So look at the dial where it is and make sure it doesn't move after the hour yet. Meters will also have an asterisk or *** triangle on it. It only moves when water is going through it. So if you know everything's off inside and it's moving another sign of *** leak. Step number two, let's find the leak. Turn off the water to your entire house and mark that meter again. Wait 20 minutes if the needle moves, the leak is in the water line outside your house. If it doesn't move, the leak is inside your house. Now on to step number three, pinpoint the leak's exact location. So where do you start looking? Well, the most common place for leaks in your house under the sink. So whether it's the kitchen sink or the bathroom, feel around the pipes like this, feel for dampness anywhere down there. That's your first stop. Other common places for leaks the hose bib, which is that little thing on the outside of your house. You connect the hose to or your hot water heater, another hot spot for leaks your toilet. And there's an easy test you can do for this one. Yeah, toilets are *** prime spot for leaks. So you can do the toilet dye test. Get *** little bottle of food coloring like this, right? And put *** couple of drops like that, you see it in there into the little tank. Then if you have *** leak within five minutes, you are going to see some of that coloring inside the bowl. If it stays clear, you don't have *** leak. If you do call *** plumber or if you have *** few stuff around the house, you can probably fix the flapper yourself. We have more advice from the experts to keep those bills down. I'm going to put it all on my website, Rosson reports dot com back to you.
Rossen Reports: Your water bill is sky high, here’s what to do
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Updated: 2:49 PM CDT Aug 1, 2023
You typically use no more than 12,000 gallons of water a month, maybe a little more in the summer. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says even a small leak can waste as much as 10,000 gallons of water per year.If you suddenly get a sky-high water bill, how do you find that invisible leak? High water bills can be caused by leaks, faulty equipment, or a sudden increase in water rates. Experts say these are some steps you could take.Check the meter Turn off all the faucets in your house. Make sure nothing is running, like your washing machine or dishwasher. Go to your meter. Some meters can be found in the basement, others attached to the side of your house, others are in the ground inside a box. Mark where the dial is hitting, or what the numbers are.Wait an hour (with all of the water off) and come back. If the dial has moved, there could be a leak somewhere. Your meter also has this triangle or asterisk on it. It moves if water is passing through the meter. So if it's moving and you know the water is off throughout your house, you have a leak somewhere.Determine where the leak isTurn off the water to your entire house and mark that meter again. If the needle moves within 20 minutes, your leak is probably outside between the meter and your house. It could be the water line itself. If it doesn’t move, the leak is inside your house.Find the leakStart going through your house looking for leaks. Where should you start? The most common areas for leaks are sinks (feel underneath for dampness or puddles), hose bibs and hot water tanks.Do the toilet dye testAnother common place is the toilet. Grab a bottle of food coloring and put a few drops in the tank of every toilet in the house. If there's a leak, color will appear in the bowl within five minutes. If you find color in the bowl, call a plumber or, if you're handy with DIY projects, you can probably replace the flapper yourself.Other clues to a sneaky leak:Wall discoloration – Water stains on the ceiling, the walls can be yellow or brown in color.Issues with wallpaper – Bubbling or bulging wallpaper is a sign that your wall could be wet from a leak.Smell – If you’re smelling a musty smell, it could be that mold has grown due to a leak.Here's more information from the EPA on how to fix a leak.
You typically use no more than 12,000 gallons of water a month, maybe a little more in the summer. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says even a small leak can waste as much as 10,000 gallons of water per year.
If you suddenly get a sky-high water bill, how do you find that invisible leak? High water bills can be caused by leaks, faulty equipment, or a sudden increase in water rates. Experts say these are some steps you could take.
Check the meter
Turn off all the faucets in your house. Make sure nothing is running, like your washing machine or dishwasher. Go to your meter. Some meters can be found in the basement, others attached to the side of your house, others are in the ground inside a box. Mark where the dial is hitting, or what the numbers are.
Wait an hour (with all of the water off) and come back. If the dial has moved, there could be a leak somewhere. Your meter also has this triangle or asterisk on it. It moves if water is passing through the meter. So if it's moving and you know the water is off throughout your house, you have a leak somewhere.
Determine where the leak is
Turn off the water to your entire house and mark that meter again. If the needle moves within 20 minutes, your leak is probably outside between the meter and your house. It could be the water line itself. If it doesn’t move, the leak is inside your house.
Find the leak
Start going through your house looking for leaks. Where should you start? The most common areas for leaks are sinks (feel underneath for dampness or puddles), hose bibs and hot water tanks.
Do the toilet dye test
Another common place is the toilet. Grab a bottle of food coloring and put a few drops in the tank of every toilet in the house. If there's a leak, color will appear in the bowl within five minutes. If you find color in the bowl, call a plumber or, if you're handy with DIY projects, you can probably replace the flapper yourself.
Other clues to a sneaky leak:
- Wall discoloration – Water stains on the ceiling, the walls can be yellow or brown in color.
- Issues with wallpaper – Bubbling or bulging wallpaper is a sign that your wall could be wet from a leak.
- Smell – If you’re smelling a musty smell, it could be that mold has grown due to a leak.
Here's more information from the EPA on how to fix a leak.
