Even a tiny crack on a water line inside your home can cause you to lose more than 250 gallons of water a day. If the main line to your home leaks, it could waste more than 100 gallons of water a minute, wasting precious resources and causing a dramatic increase in your water bill. And, a leak on one of these pipes doesn’t just waste water; it can also cause significant damage to the walls, floors, and furnishings in your home. Even a tiny pin-hole leak, left undetected, can damage the home’s structure and grow dangerous molds.

To help you check for leaks, you should understand that there are many reasons why a water line leaks to begin with:

• Pipes can become old and worn out.
• High water pressure in the home may cause the line to split at the seams
• The line may have been improperly installed causing too much tension on the pipe fittings.
  
• Your home may have polybutelyne water lines which were used in the 1980s and which are known to fail frequently. If you are concerned that your home might have polybutylene water pipes, give Atlanta Plumbing Plus a call. We’ll be happy to drop by at no charge to take a look and let you know.
• A homeowner may drive a nail in to a wall to hang a picture and hit a line inside the wall.
• In the spring and fall, temperatures can change rapidly from one part of the day to another. This causes pipes to expand and contract quickly, which may cause older galvanized pipes to leak.
• Heavy summer rains can make the ground around your pipes settle. This can cause your main supply line to the house to rupture and leak into the ground. It can even cause the supply line to pull apart at the house foundation, in which case the water might run back towards the house and flood your basement. Conversely, exceptionally dry summer weather and drought conditions can cause the same problems.

For these reasons, you should check your pipes at least once a year. To check them take the following steps:

1. Check whether there is a leak on the main line outside your home by shutting the water off at the shut-off valve where the line enters your home, then look to see if the meter dial is still turning. (If your home doesn’t have a shut-off valve where the main line enters the home, call Atlanta Plumbing Plus to install one.)

2. Check to see if there is a leak inside your home by waiting until a time when no one will be using any water (for example, overnight). Read the number on your meter, then wait 8 – 10 hours and read it again. If the meter has moved, something could be leaking inside the home that needs to be repaired. Take the following steps:

• Check for visible leaks on the supply lines to all of your appliances and fixtures (sinks, toilets, etc.) — even those that are less visible, such as your dishwasher connection and icemaker supply line. If any of these supply lines are made of gray polybutelyne piping, you should replace them with braided stainless steel lines to prevent future leaks. Or, call Atlanta Plumbing Plus to do this for you.
• Check your washing machine hoses for bulges or leaks. Replace any hose showing signs of wear. Always replace black rubber washing machine hoses with braided stainless steel washing machine hoses to prevent future leaks.
• Look inside cabinets for sign of water damage such as warped cabinet bottoms, or water stains.
• If the home has a basement, check exposed piping for signs of leaking, and don’t forget to check the basement ceiling for water stains.
• Make sure your hose bibbs (outside faucets or spigots) aren’t dripping or leaking.

Your water lines can have other problems besides leaks. Turn on the water at several places in your home at once (e.g., in the bathtub and in the kitchen sink). If the volume of water from the faucets is reduced when more than one faucet is open, the pipes may have calcium and mineral deposits in them and you may need to replace the pipes.

If your pipes make a loud annoying noise when you turn the water on or off, you may need to install shock absorbers and/or a Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV) on the water lines to prevent this water hammer.