Water Leaks: Finding Them Before They Find You

The meter test

Turn off every water-using appliance and tap, and ensure nothing is refilling.

Note the meter reading, leave it for a few hours without using water, and read it again.

Any movement indicates water leaving the system somewhere between the meter and your taps.

Repeat with the internal stop tap closed. If the meter still moves, the leak is on the supply pipe outside; if it stops, it is inside.

The common internal sources

Toilet cisterns, which frequently trickle continuously into the pan. Wipe the back of the pan dry and watch for a fresh trail, or place tissue against it.

Dripping taps and worn washers, which waste more than they appear to.

Appliance hoses, which perish and fail. Check behind washing machines and dishwashers periodically.

Heating system pressure dropping repeatedly, which indicates a leak somewhere in the circuit.

Pipework in airing cupboards and under baths, where a slow drip can run for months unseen.

The signs of a hidden leak

Unexplained increases in water usage.

Warm patches on floors, which can indicate a leak in heating pipework beneath.

Persistently damp patches unrelated to rainfall.

Reduced water pressure.

The sound of running water when nothing is in use.

External leaks

Supply pipe leaks between the boundary and the house are frequently the property owner's responsibility, and many water suppliers offer a repair scheme or contribution.

Signs include unusually lush or wet ground along the pipe route, or subsidence.

Prevention

Know where the internal stop tap is and check it turns, before you need it in an emergency.

Fit isolation valves at appliances so individual items can be shut off.

Insulate pipes in unheated spaces against freezing, which is the classic cause of a burst.

Where the property is left empty in winter, keep low background heating or drain the system.