A water leak can occur anytime and anywhere on your property. Or in the case of your water main, underneath or outside your place of business or home. However, just because the leak may be underground, that does not mean you can’t locate it. There are several ways that you, as the property owner can detect the presence of an underground water main leak in your place of business, or your home. The first thing to do, is to watch your water meter, and keep an eye on your bill. However, since the water bills in Toledo and surrounding areas typically come out every three months, you may not catch it. If you fear there is an underground water leak and can’t locate the source, we suggest you give us a call as an underground water leak can be alarming and can also be very destructive, they need to be repaired immediately. Here are nine tips when it comes to recognizing underground water leaks:
- Unusual wet areas in spots that are landscaped and/or pools of water on the surface of the ground.
- An area that’s moldy, soft, green, or mossy that’s surrounded by a dryer condition.
- A very noticeable drop in flow volume/water pressure.
- A new problem with dirt or air in your water or rusty water, although this can be due to another problem.
- A section of an area that’s irrigated suddenly turns brown/dying/dead and it used to be lush and green. This is due to the water pressure being too low for sprinklerheadsto properly pop up.
- Cracking or heaving of areas that are paved.
- Potholes or sink holes.
- Uneven grades of floor or a leaning structure.
- A sudden increase in use of water that is unexplained, water use that is consistently high, or even water use that’s been steadily climbing for a few billing cycles.
If you’ve noticed any of the above signs, you may also hear something that is indicating you have a leak. Underground pipes are pressurized and will often make a variety of sounds.
Sounds like:
- “Whoosh” or “Hiss” from reduction in orifice pressure and pipe vibration.
- “Babbling Brook” or “Splashing” sounds when water spray strikes the soil cavity’s wall.
- Little ‘clinking’ sounds when pebbles and stones bounce off of pipes.
The ‘whoosh’ or ‘hiss’ sound is the only sound that’s present in pipe leaks with a water pressure of 30 psi or more. It can also resemble the sound of static. The sound of a babbling brook, or bouncing stones aren’t always present, or noticeable. The is the sound our professional service technicians pay attention to.
If you catch an underground water leak quickly enough, you are more likely to stop a disaster which could destroy a parking lot, your buildings foundation or sidewalk, and even the surrounding areas.
Call the water company first, and then give us a call. The sooner you call, the quicker we can repair any underground water leaks in, or around your properly.
My sister wants to make sure that her shop’s plumbing system is intact for protection and safety. It was explained here that if there are unusual wet spots in the ground, he may be needing to have a professional checked it out. Furthermore, it’s recommended to hire professional commercial plumbing contractors for quality work.
That’s good to know that water leaks can happen underneath a building and cause some problems for you. I would imagine if it wears down the foundation or something, that could be catastrophic. I’ll have to keep an ear and eye out for any water leaks under my building so that I can call in a contractor to come to fix it if I find a problem.
My husband was telling me that he is concerned about the pipes in our home. He is thinking that there might be a need to get a residential pipe repair. It might be useful for him to know that a hiss sound is a sign of a leak.
I found it interesting that you state that it’s a good idea to always check for water leaks. My dad has been having a problem with his toilet pipes leaking into the floor and saturating the basement ceiling. I will send him this information so he can make sure that he hires a residential plumbing company to fix it as soon as possible.
I want to make sure that I don’t have any issues with leaking when it comes to my underground pipes. It makes sense that I would want to keep an eye out for any wet spots or strange looking concrete! That way, I can tell if there’s anything weird going on.
I never knew that a drop in water pressure could mean pipes leaking underground. I am considering purchasing a new property but the bathroom sink barely flowed. I thought this was pretty strange and I am glad I was able to find out why. Next time I look at new properties I will certainly keep this information in mind.
It’s helpful to know how to watch for water line leaks, including keeping an eye out for unusually wet or mossy areas in the yard as well as sinkholes. My sister experienced a water line leak last year after noticing her bills were higher than usual. I just bought my first house and don’t want to run into any similar issues with my utilities, so I will certainly keep this information in mind and hopefully catch any potential leaking as soon as possible.
It’s great that you talked about a sudden drop in water pressure being a common sign of leaks or other plumbing issues. My wife and I have noticed that our shower barely gets the water out of the head anymore and I know this can’t be a good thing. Before we get any damage to our foundation of walls I want to find a plumber that can diagnose the issue and fix it.
It’s good to know that a noticeable drop in water pressure may be a sign of a leak. The water pressure in my house has been low lately and I noticed some minor stains in the basement. It sounds like I should definitely have my property inspected for a potential water leak.
My water bills have been going up, and I’m not sure why. It makes sense that it could be an issue with water leaks. I’ll be sure to get a professional to help me out with this.
It makes sense that oddly leaning or bulging structures are a sign that something is wrong. My uncle has noticed that he might have some plumbing issues this month. He needs to find a commercial plumber that is able to find these issues and get them corrected.
Using 250 gallons a day with one person in residence
Thanks for pointing out that a drop in water pressure can be a sign of a leak. My wife and I have noticed that our showerhead is comparatively dripping instead of shooting out water. We’ll be sure to find someone to identify our potential leak!
It’s a good point that paved areas that are cracking a lot and getting pushed around could be a sign of flooding. My cousin is having issues with some service lines on the property. He needs to connect with a contractor that can locate the issue and get it fixed.
It’s a good point that paved areas that are cracking a lot and getting pushed around could be a sign of flooding. My cousin is having issues with some service lines on the property. He needs to connect with a contractor that can locate the issue and get it fixed.
Thank you for pointing out that one of the ways to determine underground water leaks is that it has water sports. The other day my sister mentioned she has water spots in her basement. I will call a contractor to help inspect my sister’s home.
Thank you for pointing out that one of the ways to determine underground water leaks is that it has water sports. The other day my sister mentioned she has water spots in her basement. I will call a contractor to help inspect my sister’s home.
Thank you for pointing out that one of the ways to determine underground water leaks is that it has water sports. The other day my sister mentioned she has water spots in her basement. I will call a contractor to help inspect my sister’s home.
Thank you for pointing out that one of the ways to determine underground water leaks is that it has water sports. The other day my sister mentioned she has water spots in her basement. I will call a contractor to help inspect my sister’s home.
Thank you for pointing out that one of the ways to determine underground water leaks is that it has water sports. The other day my sister mentioned she has water spots in her basement. I will call a contractor to help inspect my sister’s home.
Thank you for pointing out that one of the ways to determine underground water leaks is that it has water sports. The other day my sister mentioned she has water spots in her basement. I will call a contractor to help inspect my sister’s home.
Wonderful information, thanks a lot for sharing kind of content with us. Your blog gives the best and the most interesting information. I wonder if we can gather such practical information about recognizing underground water leaks it, a great post definitely to come across.
Wonderful information, thanks a lot for sharing kind of content with us. Your blog gives the best and the most interesting information. I wonder if we can gather such practical information about recognizing underground water leaks it, a great post definitely to come across.