Of the different types of water leaks in your home, leaks involving the water line are usually the worst. Orca Realty says that is because water line leaks can do massive damage in a relatively short time.
Your home’s water line carries large volumes of water. The water often has a lot of pressure. Problems in this part of the plumbing can impair your quality of life and even endanger the structures of your home.
What is a water line?
The water line, or main water line, is the pipe that connects to the city water supply and carries water from the street into your home. While the impact of leaks in water pipes located inside the house can often be limited to the part of the home where the pipe is located, this is not the case with the water line.
Water line leaks affect the entire building. Even if the water supply to the house is not interrupted, a water line leak can affect the quality and quantity of water coming into the home. It will cause the water bill to skyrocket or even impair the structural integrity of the building. What are the signs that you may have a broken water line?
Signs of a leaking water line
- Low water pressure: A noticeable change in water pressure across the entire home may signify a large leak in your water line.
- Discolored water: If soil finds its way into the opening in the water line, it can cause the water entering your home to have a murky color.
- Mounting water bills: If your water bill is going up, but there is no major change to the way you use water, you may have a water line leak.
- Recurring clogs: Debris inside the water supply can cause frequent clogs in your drains, especially when the clogs happen to several drains in the home.
- Smelly water: Impurities that enter the water through the crack in the water line can give it a bad odor.
- Strange noises from pipes: A burst water line will make a bubbling or hissing sound. You may also hear the sound of dripping water.
- Wet patches in your lawn: Because it runs underground, a broken water line can cause wet patches in your lawn.
- Mold and mold-loving insects: You may have a water leak in your water line if you start seeing mold in your home or insects that love mold and water.
How to know if you have a leaking water line
If you notice some or all of the above signs in your home, you may be sure there is a water leak in your home. But the leak can be in your main water line or in one of the pipes inside the house. To determine the location of the leak, follow these steps.
How to know if your main water line is leaking
- Turn off the main water valve in your home and make sure no water-utilizing appliance is running.
- Look for your home’s main water shut-off valve and turn it off. It is the valve that controls the supply of water to the house. Turning it off ensures that no water enters your home.
- Look for your home’s water meter; it is often located on the front curb of the home or somewhere on the basement.
- Open the lid of the water meter box and remove the cover to access the water meter. Lift the flap on the face of the water meter to see the dials. You may need to wipe dust and debris off the face of the meter.
- If the snowflake indicator on the water meter is moving, it means water is still flowing through the pipes, even though you are not using any water in your home. That shows you have a leak.
- If you are not sure, take the water meter reading and wait a few hours. If the water meter reading changes while the water supply to your home is off, you have a leak in your main water line.
How to know if a water pipe inside your home is leaking
If you do the above steps and there is no movement in the water meter, the leak is probably inside your home.
- To determine if this is correct, open the main water shut-off valve.
- Check to see if the snowflake dial on the water meter starts moving.
- If it moves, go back and turn off the water shut-off valve.
- If the snowflake indicator on the water meter stops moving, the leak is inside your home.
To identify the exact location of the water leak, regardless of whether the leak is in your main water line or inside your house, please contact a professional plumber. It is not a good idea to try to fix water leaks in the home by yourself, especially when those leaks are in the home’s water line.