A dripping tap can waste as much as one litre of water an hour. How to deal with a water leak in your home.
Worcester and surrounding areas are sweltering, mosquitoes flourishing, load shedding is disrupting our normal sleeping patterns, and to top it off, you are alerted to the sound of water dripping either from your bathroom or kitchen taps and it’s tipping you over the edge.
How do you know if you have a leak in your home when you can't find the source, what are the signs to look out for when water is leaking from a hidden pipe and when should you call your local plumber to request a water leak detection?
Where are the most common water leaks found in your home?
Dripping taps in your bathroom or kitchen.
The toilet leaking at the base - which means that some plumbing connections aren't tightened properly.
Toilet leaking can also be caused by an old flush valve (flapper) or a ball at the bottom of the water tank.
The shower hose has been corroded and needs replacing.
Geyser water tank in your ceiling or roof.
Water Pipes in your walls or ceiling.
How to check for water leaks in your home.
Water and Electricity Bills are higher than usual.
Look for watermarks on the wall or ceilings.
Is there a damp smell in the kitchen cupboards or bathroom?
Water leaks through tiles but you have no idea where the leak is originating from.
Sometimes, a water leak can be detected on your lawn where a section is being watered from an underground leak.
How do you know if you have a water leak in your home?
Make sure your toilet tank and geyser water tank are full.
No one should open and use taps or flush the toilet in order to create pressure, wait for about 10 minutes.
Go to your Municipal water meter, check your digits - take your 1st photo to record the meter reading.
After an hour take another photo of the digits.
If you see that there is a difference in the water meter - it's confirmed that you have a water leak in your house. And you will need a professional plumber to ensure that the water leak is taken care of properly
How to get a refund on your water and electricity bill for repairing a water leak in your house.
You will be able to get your water bill adjusted by your local Municipality by presenting the findings on the report supplied by the plumber.
3 Top methods of water leak detection in your home
Thermal imaging scanners can detect moisture and can predict where mold may be causing damage and the culprit of water leaks in your home
An ultrasonic water leak detection can also be used to detect water leaks in your walls
A Pressure test can be done on the water pipes in your home to determine if there is any loss of pressure due to water leaking from the pipes.
Positive News with dealing with South Africa's Municipal water leaks
South African Tax Payers are footing the bill for an estimated R10 billion in Municipal water leaks, other studies reveal that more than 40% of South Africa's fresh drinking water is being wasted by burst pipes.
This year Ethekwini Municipality made news by announcing that they were acquiring a satellite water leak detector to deal with our country's severe water challenges. The goal is to use the satellite to detect water leaks and deal with them in a timely manner which will help save money in order to supply people without water in their homes with this much-needed human right.
When people have dignity they will be empowered to create a different destiny
That's all for this Blog, I hope you learned something new, and feel positive about some things that are working in our country, giving us hope.
And now for the wrap, with the lighter side of plumbers, "What vegetables do plumbers detest?" You've got it ... Leeks."
Markus Botha, your local qualified plumber in Worcester, Western Cape - South Africa
Comments