troubleshooting water leaks

Leaks on your outdoor sprinkler, service line, and internal plumbing system aren’t always obvious and it can lead to substantial water usage and bills.

Leavenworth RWD#7 is only responsible for public water mains and repairing leaks on water meters.  Internal leaks, sprinkler leaks and Customer service line leaks – running between service connection and building are the homeowner’s responsibility.  This includes all pipes between the service connection and the structure, irrigation system and indoor plumbing.

Tips on finding your leak

Eliminating areas of possible leaks, you will need to do the following:

-Turn off main valve that goes into house.

- (New style meter) Go down to meter & see if the word "FORWARD" is flashing, if it is then you have a leak somewhere between the meter and the house.

If it is the leak is between meter and house.

-Check all outside frost free yard water hydrants that are in ground to see if the internal gasket is leaking water into ground.

-Check where your water line comes into your foundation as the line may be leaking.

-Check for any unusual green spots or water standing in yard.

(New Style Meter) if the word "FORWARD" is not flashing - you do not have a leak 

-Turn main valve back on and go back to meter, if triangle is moving then the leak is somewhere in house.

Stools are common culprits for leaks.  Please don’t ignore a running stool or put off repairing it.   Leaks in the stool can waste up to 1400 or 2800 gallons of water Per Day, depending on the age of the stool and the severity of the leak.  If you think your stool is not leaking because you cannot hear or see evidence of leakage, reconsider the possibility.  The possibility of a stool tank to slowly and silently leak into the bowl, and this easy fix could be one of the reasons being your high water bill.

There are three (3) types of stool leaks:

     ** Bad Seal between Floor and stool base – If you have a room below the bathroom, this leak, if not corrected, will eventually cause damage to the ceiling or floorboards if the room is not finished.

     ** Fill Device – Water can overflow and run into the plastic tube.  The leak will be obvious if you remove the lid and listen for the sound on the left side of the tank.

     ** Phantom Flush - Bad Flappers are the #1 cause of this leak.    The leak is really hard to detect as the water does not run all day.  The stool will quietly flush itself when the water in the tank gets low. 

     How to check your stool for leaks:  Check stools by putting food coloring in tank (enough to change the water same color as food coloring).   DO NOT FLUSH!!!  Leave for about 30 minutes or so. Go back in and lift lid on bowl and if water is color of food coloring – your stool is leaking.

Water Softener – They are scheduled to regenerate from as little as everyday to once a month.  Anytime during or after regeneration, valves can get stuck open or partially open and may possibly leak numerous gallons of water until next regeneration cycle or can even keep leaking indefinitely.  If you have discontinued using the water softener, please make sure the plumbing has been disconnected to prevent leaks through the system.

Faucets – Any faucet leaks are usually caused by worn washer s or O rings.  You may want to check your faucet washer periodically to detect early signs of deterioration.

Irrigation System - Leaks can occur in several different places, but most leaks occur because a valve fails to shut completely, but leaks in the system pipes are not unheard of.  Even broken heads can use excessive water when the system is operating unexpected.

Outside Tap – A hose that left dripping in the grass or garden can use thousands of gallons during the course of the summer, so make sure that all outside taps are tightly shut off.  If you have a frost free water hydrant in the ground, the washer at the end of the pipe (in ground) may be broke and water maybe leaking underground.