Conservation

You know you have a leak when your faucet drips, but do you know how to find a hidden leak? If you suspect you have a phantom water waster on your property, follow these tips to find the culprit:

First, make sure no water is being used inside or outside of your home.
Locating a leak is a process of elimination.

Check your toilets:
Shut off one toilet at a time at the wall. In between each shutoff, go out to the water meter and check your flow indicator. If the small, red flow indicator is moving, that toilet is not the problem. Something else is causing a leak. If the flow indicator stopped moving, that means it is the culprit.

Check your sprinkler system:
Shut off the main irrigation valve that serves your sprinkler system. Check the red flow indicator at the water meter. If the flow indicator stopped moving, the sprinkler system is the problem.

Check your main service line:
First, you need to find your water shutoff valve. This is usually in your front yard near the sewer riser cap, in your garage or near your water softener unit. Shut off the valve, cutting off all water to your home, and go in the house and turn on a faucet to make sure the water is off. Check the red flow indicator triangle at the meter. If the flow indicator is moving, the leak is between the shutoff valve and the water meter.

Now what?
First, close the water meter cap to prevent damage to the lens and replace the meter box lid. If you are not able to find the leak, you should call a professional plumber to locate and fix the leak(s). If you find a simple leak like your toilet flapper or kitchen faucet, you may want to fix the problem yourself.

How to Fix a Leak
While some leaks such as a dripping faucet are easy to see, many are hidden and can waste thousands of gallons of water each year.

• Repairing a toilet leak
  
• Repairing faucet leaks
  
• Leak test for metered homes
  
• How to determine indoor and outdoor leaks
  

Repairing a Toilet Leak
These repair tips are designed for easy do-it-yourself use. However, if you feel unsure about your ability to perform any of these steps, contact a licensed plumber.

1. Check the float arm; lift it up. If the water stops running then you've found your problem. Adjust the screws or bolts to the inlet float valve until the water stops flowing.

2. If the water continues to run, turn off the water supply valve to the tank. Flush the toilet to drain out the water. Examine the inlet float valve by removing the two screws or bolts and lifting the top of the valve housing out. If it is even slightly damaged or worn, replace it.

3. If the toilet continues to run, examine the ball stopper or flapper valve. It should fit flush in its seat. If not, look at the lever and guide rods that operate the flapper valve. If they are crooked, gently straighten them. For toilets with a chain pull attached to the flapper valve, make sure the chain is slack when the valve is seated to ensure a snug fit. If the ball or flapper valve is worn out, replace it. Check for corrosion or deposits on the ball stopper or flapper valve. Use steel wool to remove build up so the stopper sets properly in the seat.

4. Inspect the small refill tube that connects the fill valve to the refill-overflow tube to be sure the smaller tube ends slightly above the standing water level of the completely filled tank. If necessary, gently pull the small tube upward until its end is correctly placed.

Repairing Faucet Leaks
While these tips are designed for easy do-it-yourself use, if you feel unsure about your ability to perform any of these steps, contact a licensed plumber.

1. Be sure to wrap your wrench with masking or duct tape to prevent scratching your fixture.

2. Shut off the cold and hot water supply valves below the sink.

3. Faucet handles usually have a plastic decorative button that conceals a screw underneath. Gently pop off the plastic button using a screwdriver like a chisel. Unscrew the screw to allow the handle to be removed. Grip the large hexagonal nut and unscrew it to reveal the stem. If your faucet does not have decorative handles, simply unscrew the already exposed hexagonal nut.

4. With the hexagonal nut loose, pull out the stem.

5. At the bottom of the stem, you will see a rubber washer held in place by a screw. Remove the screw and replace the washer with one of the same size, then reassemble.

6. If the faucet leaks only when the faucet is on, follow steps 1-3, then replace the packing (the pliable material beneath the hexagonal nut).

7. Coat the threads of the stem with petroleum jelly.

8. Reassemble faucet and turn the water supply valves back on.

Your faucet may not be identical to those described here. Single-lever and washerless faucets vary from brand to brand. Usually you can purchase a repair kit for your model. Contact a licensed plumber if you are not certain these instructions apply to your faucet.

Leak Test for Metered Homes
Leaks are easier to detect if you have a water meter. To prevent any leaks from going undetected every six months, follow these steps:

1. Turn off ALL water using devices (taps, dishwasher, sprinklers, evaporative cooler, etc.)
   
2. Locate your water meter and write down the dial read currently showing on your meter.
   
3. Wait 20 minutes. Then look at your meter again. If the number has changed, you have a leak.
   

How to Isolate Indoor vs. Outdoor Leaks

1. Turn off all domestic (indoor) use water.
   
2. Check flow indicator on water meter:
   

   a. If flow indicator is not showing water flow, the system has integrity with no water leaks.
   b. If flow indicator is showing movement, system has a leak. Continue to step #3.
   

3. Turn off main irrigation valve.
   

   a. If flow indicator is not showing usage, water usage was in irrigation system.
   b. If flow indicator is showing usage, then usage may be on domestic side of service.
   

4. Turn off domestic water supply to the home (located outside next to building).
   

   a. If flow indicator stops, usage is on the domestic side of the service. Continue to step #5.
   b. If indicator still shows usage, leakage is in the area between the water meter, irrigation main shutoff valve, and the house shutoff valve.
   

5. Turn on domestic water supply at the home. Check the following locations for water usage.
   

   a. Toilets (flapper valves, float arm adjustments, and inlet float valve assembly). To check flapper valves use the following methods:
   

   (1) Place food coloring in tank and wait approximately 20 minutes. If colored water appears in the bowl, the flapper is leaking.
   (2) Turn off the water supply valve for twenty minutes, then turn back on. If tank has lost water and water starts to run, water is leaking by the flapper valve.

   b. Check inside and outside faucets for leaks.
   c. Check water-using appliances for leaks; i.e., water heaters, washing machine, ice maker and disposal.
   

6. After leaks have been repaired, check all valves for correct "on" positions.
   
7. Customers may need to obtain professional services of landscapers, plumbers or leak detection services to assist with finding and repairing water leaks.