If you have noticed a drop in your water pressure or your sinks have slow draining water, you may have a water leak somewhere in your property. As tempting as it is to ignore, finding out the extent of your problem now, could save you time and money in the long run.

If water leaks go undetected for a long period of time, you could find yourself coming home to a flooded property with extensive water damage and rising costs in the future.

If you haven’t noticed anything obvious and are connected to a water metre, following these simple steps will help you identify if you have a leak:

1. Choose a time when no-one is in the property and stop using all water sources for a minimum of 3 hours.
2. Check the number reading on your water metre and make a note.
3. After 3 hours, check your water metre reading. If the count has been steadily rising you can be fairly certain there is a leak somewhere on your property.

If you are not connected to a water metre, check your water bills to see if they have been increasing over a period of time for no apparent reason. If you would like information on whether to switch to a water metre, visit The Water Watchdog website: https://www.ccwater.org.uk/

So now you know you have a leak, you should check all the pipes in and around your home for any water leakage such as washing machines, dishwashers, sinks, showers and toilets. Make sure you also check above the eyeline in every room for sagging ceilings, damp on walls and any mould or mildew build up. From outside your property check all your pipework and brickwork to see if you can notice any signs of leaks. If you have an older style property and have cast iron pipes these may have started to corrode causing leaks. You can easily replace these to keep them in style with the period of your home. Suppliers such as Drain Depot will be able to advise you on the type of pipes that would be best suited.

Appliances

If you notice any unexplained drips of water near any of the appliances, then you should check them thoroughly or call a plumber to help fix any problems. You should also check for any discolouration or oxidisation of pipes.

Toilets

One way to test if your toilet is leaking is to add a coloured dye into the water tank and then wait for 10 minutes. If the dye appears in your toilet pan within this time, then your toilet is leaking. Again contact a plumber for further help and advice.

Damp and wet floors

If you have noticed that one of your rooms seems much cooler than the other, this could indicate there is a leak in this room as water removes heat from the atmosphere faster than air. If you notice damp patches on your floors you could have a leaking pipe underneath your floors.

If you need to find a plumber, visit the check a trade website for recommended trusted companies in your area: https://www.checkatrade.com/