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Home » Water Leak? How do I know if I have one?

Water Leak? How do I know if I have one?

Checking for water leaks.

The first and easiest way to know if you have a water leak is to check your meter for “movement”. In order to do this you must first find your meter. Your meter is usually near the street in a small concrete or plastic box, many times actually in the sidewalk.


What/Where is my Water Meter?(To Check for Water Leak)

Your water meter is the key for finding out if you have a leak. The water meter is usually in the side walk or near the front of your property. There are many different types of water meter boxes and a few are shown below. You can usually open your meter box with just your hands, however some meter boxes require a screwdriver or some type of pry bar.

Large water meter with two small water meter boxes
An older style meter box in a sidewalk.
A very old City of Portland meter box.


Checking For A Water Leak

Now you know where and what a meter box is. The next step in determining if you have a leak is to look at your meter, is it analog? Digital? What the heck are you talking about Dan? There are two types of water meters but hundreds of brands, so if your meter does not look like the ones below no worries. You are still able to determine if you have a leak or not.

An analog meter.

A digital meter.

Now, Do You Have A Water Leak?

On the analog meter there should always be a small triangle or star looking dial, on the one above this is a red triangle. To determine if you have a leak, make sure all water is off inside the house, sinks, toilets, washing machine, dishwasher etc.. Look at this triangle or star or if there is not one the “needle”, if any of these are moving that means water is going through your meter and yes you may in fact have a water leak.

On the digital meter the same thing, make sure all water is off. The digital meter will have a plus (+) sign some where flashing or even what looks like a small image of a water faucet dripping. If either of these are showing then yes you likely have a water leak. For more information on meters click here.


Can I Determine If I have A Leak On A Well System?

To determine if you have a leak on a well system you must have a working pressure gauge, usually at the pressure tank as viewed below.

Typical Pressure Tank and Gauge for well system.

To determine is there is a leak on the well system, first make sure all water in and around the system is off, then turn off the power to the well pump. If the pressure gauge loses pressure, that is the gauge goes down, then you may in fact have a leak.