Leaks from plumbing fixtures, pipes and fittings cause massive waste of water in homes and offices every year. Besides, water leakage also causes a lot of damage in homes. Studies show that home can lose somewhere between 2,000 to 20,000 gallons of water every year due to leakage in pipes. As soon as a leak is found, a leak repair must be done. However, there are a few steps that you can take to reduce the damage and the losses before the leak repair is done.

How to Find a Leak

Water leakage occurs generally around showers and bathtubs, toilets and sinks. Sometimes leakages are less severe and can be something like a dripping faucet. Sometimes, leakages can happen underground and can leak out for years before being detected. When you come across such hidden leaks, it is essential that you stop all water-consuming appliances. Now, check if the number on your water meter changes over a course of three or four hours. If the number in the water meter changes, then you have a leak somewhere in the house.
When you detect a leak, it may happen that you are unaware of the exact location of the leak. The areas that you can check are the valves in your toilets, the valves in the kitchen and the bathroom sinks, and also look for dripping taps and showers. You also should check near the heater for any water deposits. If you have sprinklers in your garden, also check them.
If you cannot find a leak, you need to contact a professional to help with the leak. If the leak is visible and can be fixed easily, then, with the right tools and spares, you can perform the leak repairs. Otherwise, do not hesitate to contact plumbing services.

Contact Emergency Plumbing Services

As soon as you detect any severe leaks, you need to contact emergency plumbing services. Emergency plumbing services specialize in leak repairs with a very low response time. Even though emergency plumbing services will cost you slightly more than regular plumbers, the amount that you will have to pay will be nothing compared to that of the damages caused by the leak in a couple of hours.

Things to Do When You Detect a Leak

Once you have called the leak repair services, you need to shut off all sources of water. Typically, you will have the main valve shut off the water supply from your home. Once you have done this, check the water meter reading again. If the water meter reading is still going up, then you have a water leakage outside the house. If the meter stops, then there is a leakage inside the house.

Restoring Damages Caused by the Leakage

Water leakage may cause a lot of damage. Often such damages cannot be directly seen. Leakage from kitchen sink plumbing or from the heater can damage the drywall or the carpets of your home. Water leakage can also cause electrical devices to malfunction. After the leak repairs are performed by the plumbers, depending on the damage, you need to get help from water damage restoration services. Typically, most emergency plumbing services offer damage restoration services too. The services include cleanup of sewage and water damage, deodorizing and cleaning, drying of the structures. Moreover, they will also clean up any flooding in the basement and detect any other form of leaks.

Preventing Further Damages

Leakages can happen at any time. Knowledge about the piping routes at your home and looking for early signs of leakages can help you to minimize damage costs. A foolproof method of detecting leaks in the house is by looking at the water meter reading. Call a plumber as soon as you detect a leak.