Hidden Water Leaks?
7 Tips to Finding
the Source

It is hard to believe that our glorious Emerald City, known for its abundance of rain and lush greenery, is suffering from a drought! And it’s not just Seattle – twelve counties in Washington are suffering from mild to severe drought conditions. Officials have asked that we all do our part to help minimize unnecessary water usage. This includes taking shorter showers, not watering the yard, etc. 

But what about potential hidden water leaks? Finding and fixing those will help address the water shortage issue, and save you a lot of money too! 

But if it’s hidden, how would you even know if you have a leak? 

Here are seven steps to help you find out if you have a leak, and where the leak is, so you can get it fixed.

1.Check Your Water Meter

Turn off all the water outlets in your home. Don’t use the dishwasher, the shower, the faucets, or even the toilets. Turn off the driplines in your yard. Then go watch the meter. 

If the leak is fast enough, you’ll see the meter continue to change its reading. If you suspect a slow-moving leak, wait at least two hours and go check the meter again. To be sure no one in your house forgets, or ‘can’t hold it,’ maybe plan an outing for a couple hours to be sure no water gets used. 

This won’t tell you where the leak is, but it will confirm if you have one. And keep in mind that sometimes the leak is in the underground pipe leading to the house.

2.Monitor Your Usage

The Environmental Protection Agency has guidelines for about how much water a typical family uses. For example, it is unlikely a family of four would use more than 12,000 gallons per month. But every house is different, so the best approach is to look at your bills. 

Compare the same month in successive years, because water usage in August might be different than in March, especially if considering outside water usage. Also, compare month to month, because if the water usage is rising, that’s a bad sign.

3.Use Food Coloring 

A large percentage of your water usage comes from your toilets. A leak can compound the amount. The good news is, this is relatively easy to test. Put a few drops of food coloring in the toilet reservoir – that’s the part where the water sits before you flush - and wait about ten minutes. If the coloring shows up in the toilet bowl without any flushing, that means that you have a leak. If the coloring shows up in the bowl without any flushing, you have a leak.

4.Check Under Sinks

The cabinets under your sinks should all be dry. If they aren’t, this doesn’t necessarily mean a water leak. It could just be the drainage pipes leaking. But if it’s wet under the sink, figure out what’s causing it.

5.Check the Crawlspace 

While you’re checking sinks, you should go into your crawlspace too (if you have one). Look for warm or wet spots, dripping, or evidence of mold. These are all indications that a leak could be nearby.

6.Check the Exterior

Check your exterior faucets and connections. If you use driplines on a timer, go watch it one day while it’s operating and see if water is escaping where it shouldn’t be.

7.Other Places to Check

You can also look at your water heater, at the hoses behind your washing machine, and behind your dishwasher. None of these places should have any wetness or moisture, and mold is a telltale sign something isn’t right.

If you find a slow leak you can fix yourself, take care of it and save yourself the money. If it’s too complicated to fix, or if you can’t find the leak but think you have one, you’ll have to call a plumber. Especially for underground leaks or leaks behind walls or other inaccessible places, it will probably take a professional to fix the problem. 

A Look at Data from King, Snohomish, and Pierce Counties

As 2023 winds down, market activity trends are looking like a fairly predictable fall for our market. As noted in the past, despite the high interest rates and other uncertainties, prices have held fairly steady the last few months. In King County, the median sales price for single family homes (SFH) in October was $894,000, in Snohomish it was $720,000, and in Pierce $530,000. These prices have varied only slightly from their spring sale peak. 

New listings and buyer activity are holding steady too, other than the slightly downward trend typical of this time of year. 

To flesh this out, we’re showing three graphs this month, each including data for single family homes in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties. You can see data for median sales prices, new listings, and closed sales. 

The takeaway from what you see here is pretty simple – a steady market means steady activity for those wishing to sell, especially due to the persistent low inventory. 

If you know anyone looking to sell or buy, please send refer them to our team. Even if they’re not yet sure about their timeline, we love to educate our clients so that by the time that they are ready, they can proceed with greater confidence. Feel free to share our newsletter – hardcopy or online at weisbarth.com/newsletter. And a remember good portion of our income then goes to support the kids at Childhaven. Thanks for your support!