Leak Detection | Houston Plumber | Texas Master Plumber

Usually you dicover a leak in your home when you receive your water bill. Texas Master Plumber has the experience you need to locate and repair water and gas leaks. Leak detection experts Texas Master Plumber is on the job in Houston to help you with your leaks.

Texas Master Plumber uses state-of-the-art equipment to locate leaks that may be originating from behind walls, under your concrete slabs, in your irrigation systems or from plumbing in your attic or sub flooring. While this method of leak detection is helpful in many instances there will still need to be some invasive action taken to reach the source of the leak. Often times we are asked if we can fix the leak without damaging sheetrock or other building materials. The fact is that in many cases these are necessary damages incurred during the process of fixing the leak. We always advise our clients accordingly and can recommend some fantastic contractors to do repairs. We try our very best to limit the amount of demolition needed to get to a leak and repair it. These invasive actions are only taken when other measures have been exhausted.  In some cases it is most expedient that we reach the source of the leak without hesitation to prevent even greater damage to your home or property. In these instances a little sheetrock is the least of your worries. Water damage is a secondary issue to the leak and usually more costly than repairing the leak itself. Again, the experienced professionals at Texas Master Plumber will be able to advise you accordingly.

Texas Master Plumber is an expert in Leak Detection in Houston. We use best practices todetermine if you have a leak in your plumbing system even before we begin other invasive techniques, Before you call us there are some things that you can do to determine if you indeed have a leak. Obviously if you see water where there should be none, this is a great indicator, but we don’t want to insult your intelligence. If you do see water go on and give us a call and we can come out and help you to identify the source of your leak.

If water is not apparent but you think you still have a leak the best way to determine this is to check your water meter. If you do not know where your meter is located we can help you find it or you can contact your local utility to ask them. In most cases the meter is located in between houses and sometimes have one or more meters in the same box. After you have determined which is your water meter follow these steps to make a determination.

  1. First check to see that all water is turned off  in your home. Make sure no water is being used inside or outside of your house. This includes laundry, sprinkler and irrigation systems, check to see if your pool is being filled, etc…
  2. On your meter there should be a small dial that is used to verify if there is a leak. This small dial is usually a red triangle or small silver wheel that only rotates when water is flowing throught the meter. If everything is turned off inside and outside of your home and the leak indicator is turning, then the chances are good that you have a leak. Give Texas Master Plumber a call.
  3. If you do not have a leak indicator, you can also take a base meter reading and wait an hour or so and then take another meter reading (obviously you will want to make sure no water is being used during this period of time). If the reading has changed, you know you have a leak somewhere. Give Texas Master Plumber A Call.

There are several potential spots for leaks to occur, some are more obvious than others. At Texas Master Plumber we check the obvious first….obviously!

Leaking Faucets

Sometimes the leaks occur from faucets that have worn or broken washers. The washer on most sinks are located underneath the handle. While these kinds of leaks are easy to repair and the parts are relatively easy to replace, a qualified Houston plumber, like Texas Master Plumber will have the right toos for the job and can turn a project like this into short work for you. If you are the D.I.Y. type remember leak repairs do require shutting off the water under the sink or at the main shutoff valve and removing the handle.(Just to prevent an akward situation please note : faucet handles are not shutoff valves.) If you think you might have a problem doing this kind of repair give Texas Master Plumber a call today!

Leaking Toilets

The biggest culprit we find in our initial leak detection analysis is the toilet. Toilet leaks can waste several hundreds of gallons of water without you ever knowing it. These leaks are the most expensive leaks because they often go unnoticed, but are usually the least expensive to repair.

A simple dye test is a quick way to determine if you have a leak in your toilet. You don’t have to have a whole lot of expensive equipment for this kind of leak detection. Simply remove the lid to your toilet bowl tank and drop a few drops of food coloring into the water in the tank. Wait for about a half an hour  (don’t flush) and then look in the toilet bowl to see of any color has come through. If the water is clear, water is not leaking. If you see food coloring in the bowl ?you have a leak. (For obvious reasons please note :do not use yellow dyes.)

If you see the dye and you have determined that you have a leak give Texas Master Plumber a call today!

Flush Handle Leaks

If you find yourself constantly jiggling the handle on your toilet bowl to stop the water from running chances are  the flush level bar and chain (or the handle itself) may be sticking and could need a simple adjustment. You can either adjust the nut that secures it in the toilet tank or if that does not work you may have  to replace the itself. Either way, Texas Master Plumber is the leak detection specialist in Houston and can have your leaks repaired quickly. Give Texas Master Plumber a call today!

Toilet Overflow Tube Leaks

If the toilet overflow tube is constantly having to work then it is a good indicator that you have a problem with your float arm. Ideally your  water level should be filled to approximately ?½” below the overflow tube. If the float arm or the float itself is not set correctly or if the water is too high in the toilet tank and begins spilling into the overflow tube, the water level can be adjusted by turning the adjustment screw to lengthen or shorten the position of the float, or by very gently bending the float arm down so that the water shuts off at a level below the overflow tube you can keep this from being a problem. If these solutions do not work then you may have a bigger problem that will require replacing the toilet itself. Give Texas Master Plumber a call today!

Finding Other Water Leaks

There are two major kinds of leaks plumbers generally see. There are pressure leaks and gravity leaks. Pressure leaks involve water that you drink or bathe with and is delivered through your plumbing under pressure. Gravity leaks on the other-hand, generally deal with waste water and are much more difficult to detect. Leaks are not always easy to detect since they can originate in one part of the plumbing and travel along the bottom of the pipes only to reveal themselves somewhere down the line away from the origin of the leak. Usually these leaks manifest themselves in areas that are wet, warped or discolored. Mold is a tale-tale sign of leak.

Underground Leak Detection

Many leaks can only be revealed by using special equipment and pressure testing techniques to uncover leaks. Texas Master Plumber is a qualified plumber that specializes in leak detection for clients in the Houston area. Give us a call today to schedule a consultation. We can help you uncover those costly leaks, make the proper repairs and save you a bundle over our competition. Call us today!