If you own your home, there are certain things you need to periodically check, as any Florida emergency plumber would tell you. Buying a house is the biggest investment you’ll ever make. You owe it to yourself to routinely check for problems before they become bigger problems. This includes checking for leaks. Most people don’t call a plumber in Miami until they have a big mess on their hands. If they investigated small leaks, they wouldn’t have to worry about them becoming big leaks. It isn’t until they’re calling one of our Florida emergency plumbers that they wish they had dealt with the problem sooner.
Here, we’ll discuss some of the things you can do to detect leaks before they become expensive headaches. In the meantime, if you have a leak in your home that needs to be addressed, give us a call. We can send out of one of our plumbers in Miami as soon as possible.
Have You Checked Your Water Meter Recently?
One clear sign that you have a leak in the house is your water meter going up. One way to see if you have a leak, be it small or large, is to turn off the water faucets in your house. Make sure nobody is using the washer or dishwasher. Go outside and look at your water meter. Write down the numbers. Then go back in an hour. Write them down again. If there has been any change, then you have a leak. There is no way your meter should shoot up that quickly unless you’re leaking water somewhere in the house. If you aren’t sure where your water meter is, call and speak with someone at your water company. They send meter readers out periodically to take an actual (rather than estimated) reading so they know exactly where your meter is located.
You Should Also Check Your Water Bill
It’s also important to check your water bill every quarter. Normally, your water bill should be about $33 a month. If it’s much higher than that, there’s a problem. You should go back a few months and see what the numbers have been. You could call the water company and dispute the bill, or you can call a Florida emergency plumber. They can come out and try to locate the leak. Once they find it, they’ll repair it or, if that isn’t possible, they’ll replace whatever parts need replacing.
There is a Toilet Trick You Can Do Using Food Coloring
If you have a feeling one of your toilets are leaking but aren’t sure, there’s a little trick you can do with ordinary food coloring. What you do is squirt a few drops of red food coloring in each of your toilets’ tanks. Come back in about five minutes and, if you see the water in the bowl change color, then you know there’s a leak. Once you detect a leak, just contact one of our plumbers in Miami and we’ll send someone out to take a look.
Check for Wet Spots Under Cabinets and Near Your Tub
It can be hard to detect a leak when you have no idea where it’s coming from. You could reach under your sink and notice that the things under the cabinet are wet. However, it can be near impossible to figure out where the water is coming from. The same is true if you have a leak around one of your tubs or showers.
If you think you have a slow leak in one of these areas, you should contact our office. It’s important to call a plumber in Miami before the leak gets too big. It could be a matter of applying some caulk around the rim of your toilet or tub. Or you may need to replace your garbage disposal. The only way to know for sure is to have a professional take a look.
Do You Have Unusually Green Grass Patches in the Yard?
Most people would never think to notice this, but you should check to see if you have dark green patches of grass in your yard. You may not realize it, but there’s a reason why one spot is greener than the rest of your yard or lawn. It’s because there’s a leaking pipe underneath that spot under the ground. If you notice this happening in your yard, you need to call a Florida emergency plumber right away. There’s no telling how bad the leak is. But if it’s leaking enough to make a difference in your irrigation, then it must be pretty serious.
Always Look for Telltale Brown Stains on the Walls and Ceiling
Most homeowners understand that they should keep an eye out for brown stains on their walls and ceilings. It may sound cliché, but this is really the best way to detect if you have a leak in your house. Just because you see a stain on one wall doesn’t mean the leak is directly behind the wall. Water could be leaking from the floor above.
Rather than try to figure this out yourself, you should call a plumber in Miami to handle it for you. Just give us a call and we’ll send someone out to do a free estimate. If they determine that you have a serious leak, they’ll get to fixing it right away.
Call a Florida Emergency Plumber Right Away
As a homeowner, you need to understand that detecting that you have a leak is a lot different from actually fixing the leak. Unless you have experience as a plumber, it’s not the best idea to try to fix this yourself. It’s a good idea to call and talk to one of our Florida emergency plumbers. They can come out and look in the suspected area to determine what kind of work you need. Since we do offer our clients a free estimate, you have nothing to lose. Just call and speak with one of our technicians and they’ll schedule a date and time to come out.
