Have you noticed a significant increase in your water usage, which has caused an increase in your water bill? This could be attributed to a number of items such as:

• Filling of swimming pools
• Excessive outdoor water usage
• Increase in number of persons within the household
• A water leak
  
  

How to Find a Water Leak in a House
Even the smallest leaks in your house can add up to thousands of gallons of wasted water and potentially hundreds or thousands of dollars per year on your water bill. Unfortunately leaks are not always obvious and can go a long time before being noticed. You can do some basic tests on your own before calling in the professionals to check for leaks in your house.

Instructions

1.Turn off all fixtures and make sure that no appliances that use water are running.

2. Locate the water meter inside your home. Write down the meter numbers. Check the meter in one to two hours. If the numbers have changed, there is a leak somewhere in the house.

3. Check the faucets of sinks and bathtubs. Water usually leaks from the spout and is easily detectable. But it may also be leaking from on and off handles or loose fittings. You may have to tighten loose fittings about a quarter of a turn or replace parts if the leak persists.

4.If your toilet has condensation on the outside of the tank, this is a good indication your toilet is running.

5. Check the toilet by dropping a few drops of food coloring in the tank. After ten minutes if the food coloring shows up in the bowl, the toilet is leaking. Toilets are the most common source of leaks in the house. 

6. Check the water supply lines on appliances that use water. Sometimes a leaking appliance is obvious, leaving a puddle of water on the floor in front of the appliance. Other times the leak is small and stays hidden under the appliance where you may not see it.

7. Outside spigots or hoses. Make sure outside spigots are turned off when not in use even when connected to a hose.

8. Water softeners or similar water filtering/conditioning systems. If you have any of these devices make sure they are hooked up and operating properly. Certain systems can waste many gallons of water if they are not operating