Your Home's Water System Deserves Attention

Your household’s water system is a valuable asset that requires maintenance to perform well, and keep costs down.  First, check for dripping or running fixtures.  Next, go to your water meter, which measures total usage including leaks.  If it registers flow when no facilities are in use, you could be wasting water.

To verify this, do a visual check on all supply pipes and connections.  If the entire system is not accessible, listen carefully for hissing that indicates a leak or running fixture.  Also check where fixtures connect with drain pipes (e.g. under sinks and around toilets) to ensure water isn’t seeping out.  For toilets, place a coloured toilet bowl puck in the tank and wait 24 hours.  If the water in the bowl becomes coloured, you have a leak.

You may also have additional units such as humidifiers, sprinklers, misters, fountains or pools that also need to be checked for leaks, calcium build-up or mould, on a seasonal basis.