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Check For Leaks

Find & Fix Leaks to $ave

It’s important to regularly check your home and irrigation system for leaks. If you find any, make sure to repair or replace problem parts. Find tips to check for leaks yourself below. Get coupons for leak detection services, including Flume Intelligent Leak Detection, here.

Meter Leak Test

If you'd like to check for leaks on your own before calling in a pro, there are a few easy ways to do that.

Most of our meters are located in a rectangular concrete meter box at the curb or sidewalk in front of a customer's home or business. To use your water meter as a leak detector, just follow these steps:

  • Ensure no water is running either inside or outside of your home.
  • Lift the lid off of the meter box (a screwdriver inserted into the small square hole in the meter box lid will work as a “handle”).
  • Once the meter box lid has been removed, lift the round cap up from the face of the meter.
  • Check the indicator (see diagram at left). If it is slowly spinning and you know there is no water running in your home or outside, you may have a leak on your property

Toilet Leak Test

Leaky toilets waste of hundreds of gallons of water each day, and many times you will not hear or see a toilet leak. One way to find a leak is by using food dye or food coloring and following these simple steps:

Step 1: Remove the tank lid.

Step 2: Place several drops of food dye into the tank.
DO NOT flush the toilet. Wait 10-15 minutes. If you have more than one toilet to test, repeat Steps 1 and 2 for each toilet.

Step 3: Check the water in the bowl for color. If the bowl has color, then the toilet has a leak.

 

DWA also offers leak detection tablets to help you detect toilet leaks. Stop by our office in Palm Springs at 1200 S. Gene Autry Trail to pick up a packet. (While supplies last.)

Pool Leak Test

Step 1: Bring the pool water to normal level. Fill a 5-gallon bucket with pool water to about two-thirds from the top.

Step 2: Place the bucket on the first or second step of the pool. Ensure the bucket is immersed in the pool at least five inches.

Step 3: Mark the water level inside the bucket.

Step 4: Shut off the pump and auto fill and mark the pool water level on the outside of the bucket.

Step 5: Resume normal pool pump operation.

Step 6: After 24 hours, compare the two water levels. If the pool water (outside mark) goes down more than the bucket's water level, there is probably a leak. If levels are the same, only evaporation has occurred.

DIY Indoor & Outdoor Checklist

Use this checklist to help identify and fix leaks. The sooner you find leaks the more water and money you save. Click here to download a copy of the checklist.