Hidden water leak check: what to know in Arizona
Water use in an Arizona home is spread across more places than the taps. Some of it is automatic, scheduled or out of sight, and it can look like a leak on the meter.
The checklist narrows the list of suspects so that the visit can focus on the house.
Slab leak signs people notice
Nothing is opened until the leak is marked and you have heard the options.
Need a Leak Located? Call UsWhy Arizona homes get slab leaks
Valley homes often have evaporative coolers, filter or softener systems and outdoor taps on timers. Each uses water on its own cycle, and a meter test with everything off does not always include them.
A consistent movement of the meter after the checklist points at the house or the service line.
The checklist
Listen at each toilet for a faint refill. Check outdoor taps are fully closed and no hose is connected. Switch the irrigation controller off. Note the pool level. Make a list of anything with a water feed, such as a cooler, a filter system or an ice maker, and mention it on the call.
Do not adjust equipment, open boxes or turn off systems you are unsure about.
What a leak detection technician does
The technician isolates lines to separate these from the house plumbing. Equipment-specific faults are outside what we handle.
You will be told which part of the property the loss points at.
Have the meter result ready: what the dial did with everything off, and again with the irrigation off.
Warm Tile Underfoot? Call NowGoing through the house, room by room
The checklist is a way of covering the ordinary causes before the unusual ones. Walk the house with the water noticed and go through the list below, writing down anything that runs on its own.
Start with the bathrooms. Toilets that refill without being flushed, a faint hiss from the tank, or a flapper that does not seal are the most common. Dye in the tank is one way to check for a quiet leak into the bowl.
In the kitchen, look at the ice maker, the dishwasher and any filter or filtration unit with a drain. Outside, note the irrigation timer, any hose bibs left on, a pool auto-fill, an evaporative cooler with its own feed and any water softener or filter system that flushes on a schedule.
None of these are repaired under this service. They are listed so the question of whether the slab is the source can be answered with fewer visits.
Indoor items to rule out
Toilets are the most common hidden use. A flapper that does not seal lets water run into the bowl quietly. Listen for a refill when nobody has flushed, and mention it when you call.
Ice makers, refrigerator lines, dishwashers and washing machines can all leak at their connections. Damp on the floor near them is worth mentioning to the dispatcher.
Water softeners and filters that regenerate on a schedule use water at set times. That use is normal; note when it happens so it is not mistaken for a leak.
Fixtures that drip slowly add up. A tap that drips all day uses more than most people expect.
Outdoor items to rule out
Irrigation is the biggest outdoor use in most Arizona homes. A broken emitter, a cracked line or a stuck valve can lose water without showing on the surface. Switch the controller off at its panel and read the meter.
Pool auto-fills feed water to the pool as the level drops. If the pool is leaking, the auto-fill hides it by topping it up. Mark the waterline and check it after a day.
Hose bibs, outdoor showers and lines to outbuildings or detached garages can all leak. Damp ground or plants greener than the rest are worth noting.
Evaporative coolers draw water while they run. Note whether the cooler was running during your meter check.
Putting it together
Work through the list with the meter. Everything off, then read. Irrigation off, then read. Pool marked. Each step tells you something.
If the meter stops after one item is switched off, that item is the likely cause. If it keeps moving after all of them, the slab or service line is the next suspect.
Write down what you checked and what the meter did each time.
Call with the notes. The technician starts from there.
A simple log to keep
If you are trying to track down where water is going, a short log helps. Write down the date, the time, the meter reading and what was running. Over a few days, the pattern often becomes clear.
Take a reading last thing at night and first thing in the morning, with nothing used in between. The difference tells you how much water left the house overnight.
Repeat the overnight reading with the irrigation controller off. If the overnight figure drops, the irrigation was part of it.
If you have a pool, mark the waterline on the same nights. A falling level alongside an overnight meter change points to the pool.
Bring the log to the phone call. It saves time and helps the technician plan where to start.
Items that use water on a schedule
Some household items use water on a timer, which can make a meter move at odd times. Irrigation controllers are the most common, but softeners, filters, ice makers and pool auto-fills can all draw water without anyone touching a tap.
If the meter moves at the same time each day, look for something on a schedule. Note the time and what you think might be running.
If the meter moves all the time, at every hour, a schedule is less likely and a leak is more likely.
Knowing which items in your house use water on their own helps the technician too. Make a list before the visit.
The meter check with everything off is still the starting point.
When nothing on the list explains it
If you have worked through every item and the meter still moves with everything off, the slab or service line is the next suspect.
Write down what you checked and what the meter did each time.
Call with the notes.
The technician confirms the reading and moves on to isolating lines.
The search builds on what you have already ruled out.
A worked example
A homeowner’s bill doubled over two months. With everything off, the meter moves. With the irrigation controller off at its panel, it stops.
That points to the irrigation. The homeowner walks the yard and finds a soggy patch near a drip line. We do not repair irrigation systems, and the technician, had they been called, would have said the same.
In another home, the meter keeps moving with the irrigation off, the pool holds its level overnight and no toilet refills on its own. That points to the house lines or the service line.
Working through the checklist in order is what separates the two. It takes a few minutes and saves a visit when the answer is in the yard.
Calls are answered around the clock, and same-day visits are the aim.
Another Pinhole? Call NowQuestions about hidden water use
Should I shut off my cooler?
We do not give equipment advice. Mention it and the technician will isolate it as needed.
A toilet is the problem. Does the contractor fix it?
No. The technician locates slab leaks only.
Does the ice maker matter?
It uses little water, but include it in the list you give us. The point of the list is to rule things out before looking under the slab.
What if only one item stops the meter?
Then that item is likely the cause. Call a relevant trade.
Can a toilet really raise a bill?
Yes. A toilet that runs on or refills often can use a lot of water over a month without any visible sign.
Do evaporative coolers use a lot of water?
They use a continuous supply of water in use. Ask about it if your bill rises in summer.
Do I need tools for the checklist?
No. It is looking and listening only.
What if everything on the list is off and the meter moves?
Then a leak is more likely and detection comes next. Tell the dispatcher what you ruled out so the visit starts in the right place.
Should I list what I found on the call?
Yes. It saves time and may reduce what needs testing.