This simple 2 minute test could save you lots of money on your water bill

Your Barrhaven home might be haunted. But not in a paranormal way. More in the sense of phantom water leaks. It might be a dripping faucet, or maybe a slow leaking toilet. In our case, it was a defective furnace humidifier. Regardless of the source, these slow water leaks can add several dollars to your monthly water bill. Today, we’re going to share a tip on how you can quickly check if you’re home is affected by such leaks. The test only takes two minutes and requires nothing more than a flashlight or lamp.

Step 1: Make sure no water is being used during the test

Before starting this test, you must ensure than no water is being actively used by either individuals or appliances in your home.

Step 2: Locate your water meter

Your water meter is probably located in your basement or the bottom floor of your dwelling. It looks like a plastic cup connected to two copper pipes.

Step 3: Flip open the lid on the water meter and shine a light on the solar panel

Opening the lid on your water meter will reveal two items. A small solar panel (dark square) and a blank LCD display. The LCD display will remain blank until you shine a light directly onto the solar panel for 30-60 seconds. The light source can be a strong flashlight or a lamp. We found the lamp was much quicker at activating the meter.

Step 4: The first reading – total water consumption

The first number that will appear is your total water consumption. While useful, it’s not the number we are interested in for this test. The next number, which will appear in about 30 seconds, is the real time water consumption indicator. Please note that you must keep the light source on the solar panel during the entire test.

Step 5: The second reading – real time water consumption

The second number will automatically appear on the LCD panel about 30 seconds after the first. This number should read 0.00. This means that no water is flowing through your meter. If the number is higher than zero, you might have a phantom water leak in your home. If so, repeat the test a few times to confirm the result.

If you have a phantom leak, the main suspects would be:

• A leaky faucet
• A defective toilet
• The humidifier on your furnace

Fixing any leak will help lower your monthly water bills. And with costs rising, every little bit helps! If you found this article interesting, please take a moment to share on Facebook and retweet on Twitter.