Leak Detection
Track down hidden water loss using listening gear and thermal imaging, so only a small patch gets opened.
Plumbing guide
How to Find a Hidden Water Leak in Your Peoria, AZ Home
A few free tests can narrow down most hidden leaks. Begin at the meter, rule out the toilets and then inspect the spots where pipes meet fixtures.
By the Peoria Express Plumbing team ·
Start with the meter
Stop every tap and water-using appliance, including the ice maker, washer, sprinkler controller and any pool autofill. Then locate the meter, normally in a box close to the street, and lift its lid.
A typical meter has a leak indicator, either a triangle or a dial, that turns when water passes. If it turns now, water is moving somewhere in the system. Write down the register reading, wait an hour with nothing running and check again. Any change means a leak.
Rule out the toilets
Toilets are the leading hidden leak. A flapper that fails to seal lets water slip from the tank into the bowl quietly. Tint the tank with a little food coloring, skip the flush and give it fifteen minutes.
Color in the bowl proves the flapper leaks. The part is cheap, yet over a month it can lose a great deal of water. Test every toilet in the house.
Check the water heater and the plumbing under sinks
Look at the floor around the water heater and at the drain pan beneath it. A slow drip from a connection or the relief valve can go unnoticed for weeks in a garage.
Open the cabinets under sinks and feel the supply lines and traps with a dry paper towel. A damp towel gives you a place to start. Look at the back of the washing machine and the line to the refrigerator as well.
Walk the yard
Outside, look for a wet patch, a soft area or a strip of greener grass along the path of the water line. A hose bib that drips, an irrigation valve box full of water or a sprinkler head that sprays all day can also drive up usage.
Remember that monsoon storms soak the ground, so wait a few days after heavy rain before you decide that a wet spot is a leak.
Leak hunting by location
Check these places in turn. Each takes only a few minutes.
| Place | Sign | Simple test |
|---|---|---|
| Toilet tank | Hissing or a bowl that refills alone | Drop dye in the tank and wait fifteen minutes |
| Tank water heater | Damp floor, rust streaks, dripping pipe | Inspect the base and the relief pipe |
| Sink cabinets | Warped boards or a musty smell | Wipe each pipe and valve with dry tissue |
| Appliance hoses | Moisture behind the washer or dishwasher | Trace every hose and connector |
| Meter | Dial turns with all water off | Record the reading, wait two hours, read again |
Listen and feel
With the house quiet and the meter turning, walk through and listen near walls, under floors and by the water heater for a hiss or a trickle. Feel for warm spots on a tile floor, which can signal a hot water line leaking in the slab.
A thermal camera or an acoustic microphone does the same job more precisely. These are tools a plumber brings, and they locate the leak without opening the wall.
When to call a plumber
If the dial still turns after the toilets and visible fixtures check out, the leak is probably in a concealed line. That is the time for professional leak detection.
A leak under the concrete floor is covered under slab leak detection and repair. If a pipe under the yard is the problem, see water line repair and replacement.
Signs inside the walls and floors
Stains on a ceiling, paint that bubbles, warped baseboards, a musty smell and warm patches on a floor all point to a hidden leak. A hissing sound at night can be a pressurized line.
A slab leak may show as a warm floor or as a rise in the bill. See slab leak detection and repair.
When the leak is outside
Walk the property after the sprinklers have been off for an hour. Look for wet soil, a patch of lush grass or a hissing sound near the meter, the hose bibs and the pool equipment.
Check the irrigation valve boxes. A cracked valve or a loose fitting in a box can run for weeks without showing on the surface.
Fix small leaks promptly
Even a slow drip warps cabinets and feeds mold. Tighten loose fittings, replace worn supply lines and fix dripping valves right away.
If you cannot locate the leak, call early. The cost of a search is usually less than the cost of damage.
Why the numbers matter
The EPA WaterSense, Fix a Leak Week page reports that the average household's leaks waste more than 9,300 gallons of water a year. It also notes that about 9 percent of homes lose 50 gallons or more per day, which is the kind of loss a meter check can expose.
Common questions
Finding a leak: common questions
Turn everything off and watch the water meter. If it moves, water is flowing somewhere in the system.
Yes. Leaks inside walls, under slabs or underground can run for a long time before any stain shows.
If it is active and spreading, yes. Close the main valve, then call a plumber.
Related services
Slab Leak Detection & Repair
Find the failing supply pipe in or under the concrete floor, then decide how to fix it.
Water Line Repair & Replacement
Buried supply pipe trouble from meter to house, handled with a repair or a fresh run.
More plumbing guides
Reasons for a high water bill
Eight reasons the bill climbs, from a silent toilet leak to an irrigation valve stuck open, each with a way to check.
Running toilet: how to fix it
A toilet that never quite stops filling burns through water all day. Track down the part at fault and swap it.
Shutting off the main water valve
Learn where the main shutoff is before a pipe splits. Find it, test it and know what to do if it sticks.
Meter still moving?
Call the line when the simple checks do not find the cause. Someone on the line can hand you to a contractor who locates hidden leaks.