The Best Way to Find a Water Leak.

Knowing how to look for and find a water leak quickly will help you save money and limit damage to property significantly.  Here are 10 tried and tested ways to find a water leak quickly:

1. If you are one of the many people who have had to find a water leak after receiving a shocking water bill, you might want to invest in a smart water meter.  These little gadgets are great for picking up any leaks and sending alerts to your smartphone as soon as your normal consumption increases. You’ll be alerted of a leak even when you’re not home. 
2. Monitor your municipal water bill.  If you are suddenly using more water than usual but your habits haven’t changed you might have a leak in your home or on your property.  The leak might even be underground or inside a wall.
3. Look at your water meter.  First, make sure that you have closed all faucets in and around the house, no washing machines, or dishwashers should be running either.  Then go and check your water meter.  If it is running, that means that you likely have a fast moving leak somewhere.  If not, write down the meter reading, leave all the water off for an hour or two, then check back to see if the reading has changed.  If it has, you might be dealing with a slow leak.  The leak could be anywhere in the pipe work after the meter.  
4. Toilets.  Leaks in toilet bowls are difficult to spot sometimes.  A clever way to check for a leak in a toilet is to use food colouring.  By adding food colouring to the toilet water tank, you’ll be able to see if the water in the bowl is changing colour without flushing.  A small leak here can go undetected for months. By replacing the cistern valve in the tank you can fix this type of leak quickly and easily.  Even if you are a novice do-it-yourselfer, you’ll probably be able to fix this one yourself.  However, if that’s not your idea of a good time, a plumber will fix this in no time.
5. Check for any peeling or bubbling paint on walls.  Damp walls are another sign of a probable slow leak.  These usually occur on walls adjacent to the bathrooms or kitchen sink.
6. Check your grass.  Leaks often occur underground, allowing water to seep into the ground unnoticed.  By checking for patches of greener grass you might be able to spot an underground leak.
7. Check under your kitchen and bathroom sink. Check these regularly for wet or rotting wood or even a damp, musky smell. 
8. Dishwasher and washing machine pipes are often big culprits of small leaks.  Check underneath and behind the dishwasher and washing machine for dripping pipes or wet floors after they have run through a cycle of washing.
9. Check for brown spots on your ceiling.  These water marks on your ceiling is a sign that water is pooling inside the ceiling, probably from the water heater/geyser in your roof.  If you find any of these, it is best to call a plumber you trust as soon as possible because these leaks can be a sign that your water heater/ geyser needs to be repaired. 
10. Check all garden taps and hoses for leaks.  Often, the O-ring on a pipe fitting is old and worn-out.  These can be replaced quickly and easily.

There you have it.  If you still haven’t found the leak, your best option is to phone a qualified leak detection specialist.