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When it comes to detecting a leak it's extremely important that you know exactly what you're doing though you're not going to be a professional plumber. After all, you want to make sure that you're getting rid of that leak as quickly as possible. You want to be able to call your local plumber and tell them what the problem is and then you want to get back to the rest of your life without the problems. So, how can you make sure you're protecting your Katy, TX home?

Hot Water Heater

You might need to go to your basement or your crawlspace in order to check out the hot water heater, but it's an extremely important piece for you to look at. If you have a leak this is one of the most common problems and you'll want to look at whether it's dripping or draining onto your floor. If it is, you already know the problem and you can call a professional plumber to your home to take care of it. On the other hand, if you don't see a leak on the floor that doesn't mean that your hot water heater isn't leaking at all.

It's also possible that it could be leaking somewhere further in. The most common place is the pressure relief valve. If you aren't sure where your leak is and you can't find one outside of the unit you should call a professional plumber to check things like the pressure relief valve. This process involves removing some of the drain pipes on your hot water heater and that's something that you should not be attempting on your own. A professional can take care of this and make sure that you know immediately what's going on.

Toilet

This is another common one that tends to have problems. A lot of people experience leaks that are in some way related to the toilet itself. Putting a little bit of dye into the tank of your toilet and allowing it to sit will let you know if that water is leaking into your toilet bowl. If the dye manages to get into the bowl without you flushing the toilet you have a leak. On the other hand, you might notice an obvious leak somewhere around the toilet if you take a closer look.

If your toilet is constantly running then this is another sign that there's a leak and that it's wasting a whole lot of water. You want to make sure that you call a professional plumber and get this taken care of immediately. The toilet should run for no more than a minute and a half, which means if it continues to run longer than this you need to get a professional to look and see what's going on. They can help you figure out how to fix the problem so that you're not wasting so much water anymore.

Faucets

When there's a leak you absolutely want to take a closer look at all of your faucets. Make sure that all of the drains are closed off when you're not using them. That means turning all of your knobs or handles for water all the way to the side so that no water can drip out of them. Even a very slow drip can cost you a lot of money in water even over the course of a day. If left to drip for longer than that you could end up with even more problems and a far more expensive water bill while you're at it. A plumber can help.

Outdoor Hoses

Do you have a water hookup outside of your home? If you do this is another connection you should check. It's very easy to leave an outdoor water line open even the smallest amount and if it's dripping you won't notice until you go back to the hose again. Check the connection for the hose and the water outside. You might find a loose connection and the water could be leaking there. It could be leaking at the end of the hose as well. Also, check the actual water line itself outside to make sure there's no leak at the source.

Visible Plumbing

Take a walk through your house and look at all of the visible plumbing. This might mean going into the basement and looking at the way it runs under the main part of the house or looking under sinks at the drains. Can you see any water leaking or dripping or pooling in any of those locations? If you can then you know where the leak is and you can call your professional plumber to come out and take a closer look. They'll know where the problem is and that's going to help them get the problem fixed up for you a little bit faster.

Other Problems

If you can't find a leak anywhere that's visible to you it's time to call in a professional to look for the less obvious problems. These are things like your meter line or even plumbing that you can't see because it's hidden in the walls and the floors of your home. A professional plumber can take a look at these things because they have the right tools to help them. That way, they can find out where the leak is happening and they can fix it for you so you don't have to worry about the expense of that water leaking.

When it comes to getting your water leaks fixed or even any plumbing problems that you might have, make sure you call Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Houston. If you live anywhere in Katy, TX, we can come to your home and take a look at what's going on with your plumbing. Whether you have a leak or you have any other plumbing related needs, our team is able to help you and we're willing to get started whenever you need us. Just call to schedule the appointment and our plumbers can get started.