| Detecting water leaks in your home can save you | | | | inside water level by one half inch or more, you may |
| money and ensure that you do not lose value because | | | | have a leak that must be located and repaired. The |
| of the damage that can be done. Whether or not you | | | | plumbers will determine if it is a structural leak, plumbing, |
| have a pool, live in a house that is less than five years | | | | or other type of problem. |
| old, or have never had any type of leak does not | | | | Other types of leaks may be present if you have a |
| make a difference. | | | | water bill that has escalated during the past few |
| You may not realize that about one in every twenty | | | | months, compared to the same period the previous |
| pools has a leak that must be repaired. There is | | | | year. Other indicators are warm spots on concrete |
| something called the bucket test. Take a plastic five | | | | slab floors, a foul odor coming from the floor or the |
| gallon bucket and fill it with water from your pool to | | | | wall adjacent to sewers and drains, and moist or |
| about three inches from the top. Place this bucket on | | | | discolored areas on the floor or walls when nothing |
| the second step of your pool without immersing it in | | | | has leaked that you are aware of. |
| water. Mark the water level on the inside of the bucket | | | | Water conservation is important to discuss as well. |
| with electrical tape or a market. | | | | There are many ways to conserve water, including |
| Turn off your pool pump and mark the pool level on | | | | using a broom instead of a hose to clean your |
| the outside of the bucket. Turn the pump back on, and | | | | driveway and sidewalk, using a pool cover to prevent |
| make sure the auto-fill valve is turned off during the | | | | more than a thousand gallons of water each month |
| test. Take a look after 24 hours to compare the two | | | | from evaporating, and repairing toilet leaks within 24 |
| levels. If the pool water has gone down more than the | | | | hours. |