Article: Make sure no one's using any appliances, sinks, or toilets. If you'd like, you can even turn off the water at each individual valve or outside at the water meter. Doing this will allow you to see if water is moving through your pipes when it shouldn't be. If you have a basement, this will likely be the spot where you'll most easily hear water in the pipes. Walk down the stairs and stand quietly for a few minutes. If you hear water running even though no one is using any, there's a leak somewhere in the house. If possible, try to follow the pipe back to the source of the water. If you don't have a basement, walk around each room and hallway in your house and listen for water moving through pipes. If you can't follow the pipe back to the source of your leak (or if you couldn't hear running water), you'll need to search for other signs of leaks. Walk around your house and look under your sinks for wet spots or water damage. These pipes are common sources of leaks. You should also check for water damage on each ceiling, which could indicate a burst pipe. You might also find signs of damage on carpets or wood floors. Be aware that if you have damage on your floors or ceilings, you may have a problem with your roof rather than your pipes. It's a good idea to call a contractor to be sure. Your hot water heater is likely located in a closet or the garage. Without touching it, carefully examine your heater. If you see water dripping from any part of the appliance, call a hot water heater specialist to get it looked at and repaired. It's not a good idea to attempt to fix your hot water heater on your own. It can be very dangerous, and you may injure yourself. Squirt a few drops of food coloring into the tanks of every toilet in your home. Don't flush them for 1 hour. Check the toilet bowls after the hour is up. If any of the bowls contain food coloring, there's a leak in the toilet. To figure out where it is, turn off the water supply by twisting the valve at the base of the toilet. After you've turned off the water, open the tank again and draw a line to mark the water level. Wait 1 more hour. If the water has fallen during that hour, the leak is in the flush valve or flapper. If it hasn't dropped, the leak is in the fill valve or float. If you're not comfortable fixing your toilet, call the plumber! You don't want to make the problem worse. Leaky faucets are one of the more common types of leaks. While you might think it's not worth it to fix these faucets, they can actually waste several thousand gallons of water per year.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Turn off all sources of water in the house. Start in the basement and listen for water in pipes. Check for water damage under sinks and on ceilings. Listen for running water in or near your hot water heater. Use food coloring to test for leaks in your toilets. Don't ignore leaky faucets.