Areas that might be using water continually because of a leak are as follows:
- toilets
- drippy faucets
- clothes washers
- dishwashers
- some humidifiers
- some disposals
- water evaporator-type air conditioners
- lawn sprinkling systems
- hoses left on and connected to the sill cock
To test toilets for leaks first remove tank-mounted cleaners and flush until all coloring is gone from inside the tank and bowl or basin of the toilet. Then add 40 to 50 drops of food coloring (blue, red or green) to a glass of warm water, and then carefully pour it into the tank, stirring it to mix the food coloring throughout the tank. Check the toilet bowl periodically over the next two hours. Food coloring in the bowl indicates a leak.
Another way to check for water leaks is to read the water meter in your home and write down the numbers, including the number to which the needle is pointing. After six to eight hours of not using any water in the house, read the water meter again and compare the numbers to the original reading from the beginning of the test. If the needle has moved or any of the readings have changed, that means that water has passed through the meter even though no water faucets were turned on or toilets flushed, etc., during that time. In this case, a change in the needle's position on the meter indicates a leak or open valve somewhere in the home.