HOW TO DETECT A LEAK IN YOUR HOUSE

Be your own plumber and save yourself a lot of money by grabbing a wrench and check for leaks in pipes, hoses, faucets, and couplings. It's simple, inexpensive, and can save your and your family about 100 gallons each month.

Look at all your pipes inside your house. Check underneath the kitchen sink, bathroom, laundry room, and the front/ back hose bib. If you noticed that there is a slow leak or a wet spot around the area, you may have a leak in your pipes.

Listen for dripping faucets and toilets that flush by themselves. Fixing a leak can save a family up to 500 gallons a month.

Feel for drips and leaks inside and outside your house. For hard to reach areas grab a flashlight and feel the pipes for vibration of water flowing through. Or grab a rag and hold it against your pipes and if the rag is wet you have a leaky pipe.

A leaking faucet can waste more than 3,820 gallons of water a year. Take time and check each tap in the house, and replace worn washers or valve seats.

Some of the leaks may also come from your irrigation system. Every month have inspect your sprinklers and see if they are flowing right and that there Adjust your watering schedule to the season. Water your summer lawn every third day and your winter lawn every fifth day.

Leaks outside the house may not seem as unbearable since they don't mess up the floors or drive your crazy at night. But they can be just as wasteful as leaks in the line from the water meter - even more wasteful.

Your water meter can also detect a leak in your water system. If you have a meter, it is usually located in a meter box in a small concrete vault near the street. Turn off all faucets in and around the home, check the meter, wait about 10 to 15 minutes, and check the meter again. If the meter reading has changed, you have a leak. Check your water meter and bill to track you water usage.