Detecting Leaks
Dripping taps can keep you awake at night and cost you money.
A slowly dripping cold water tap loses about 5,000 litres of water over a three month period and adds unnecessary cost to your water account.
Dripping taps can be observed and as a result action can be taken quickly to stop them.
Wetness around taps and hot water systems can also be an indication of leaks in your plumbing system.
On the other hand, obscured leaks, such as those that occur underground and are caused by damaged or aging pipe work are harder to detect and can result in considerably larger losses. Sometimes the loss can amount to as much as 20,000 litres per day.
Fortunately your water meter can be used to detect leaks around your home.
Because modern water meters display usage to as little as a tenth of a litre (100ml). leaks can now be identified quickly, by following the simple steps below.
Step one
Ensure that no water is being used within the house or in the garden. This means not flushing the toilets, operating taps, appliances or automatic watering systems.
Examine the water meter for two minutes and note whether there is any movement of the right hand side dials or "clock faces".
If the dials have changed position this indicates that there may be a leak in your household system.
Step two
To determine the extent of any leak read the water meter then, after a set period has elapsed, take another meter reading.
The difference between the first and second readings will show you how much water has passed through the meter during that period. You can now calculate the water that is passing through the meter in litres per minute i.e. 20 litres passing through the meter in 4 minutes equal 5 litres per minute or 7,200 litres per day.
What to do next
If you suspect there is a leak underground, you should seek expert advice. If you would like our assistance please call our Plumbing Referral Service on 132 762. Otherwise, you are able to source and engage a plumber of your choice.
It is important that you become water wise and use less water. This means that there will be less need to build new reservoirs or tap further rivers. By using water wisely you not only save yourself money but also help to protect the environment.