Do You Have a Water Leak?

Water damage is a major concern to insurance companies and should be to you too. Even if there is no resulting damage you could be paying for lots of lost water. There are a number of common places you shoud be checking for water leaks before they become a major water loss.

1. Toilets – The toilet is one of the most common sources of water leaks in the entire home. In fact experts estimate from 20% to 35% of all
residential toilets lose water.
2. Hot Water Tanks – You should periodically check the pressure relief valve to make sure that it is working properly. These valves often feed directly into a drain so you might not detect a surface leak. However, if you hear any sounds from the valve, pipe or drain, you most certainly have a leak.
3. Faucets, Spigots and Showers – A typical home can lose anywhere between 2,000 and 20,000 gallons of water per year from leaky spigots, faucets and showers.
4. Invisible Leaks – If you were to remove all the walls of your house, you would see an entire latticework of pipes and valves that direct water through your home. Any one of these can break down and begin leaking. So turn off all the water in your home. Check the reading on your water meter. An hour later check it again. If the reading is different you have a leak somewhere.
5. Gutter Cleaning – Seasonal cleaning, especially after autumn, is one of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to protect a home from water damage. Not only do you need to clean out all of the gutters, but you also want to ensure that the drainpipes leading away from your home are free of any blockages as well.