If you have been experiencing unusually high water bills, it may be from leaking water someplace in the house. For the typical homeowner, it can be difficult to find the source of the problem on your own. By following these techniques, you'll be able to identify a potential water leak or, at the very least, eliminate a few common places where one could be.

Testing Your Toilet

The bathroom toilet is often a cause for excessive water use in a home. You can test the toilet using the following two methods.

Dye Testing

Drop a plumbing dye tablet into the toilet's tank, and give it a couple minutes for the tablet to completely change the color of the water. At this point, you may notice that the dye is starting to leak into the toilet bowl. This is a clear sign that the flapper needs replacement, since it is the cause of constantly leaking water.

You can also do this test using food coloring, milk, or any other colored liquid. The advantage of using a plumbing dye tablet is that the dye will not leave any stains, and it is easy to clean up once you have finished testing for leaks.

Flush Cycle Testing

Your toilet may be leaking during its flush cycle, and testing it is very easy. Just tuck some toilet paper in the space between the bowl and the tank. Give the toilet a flush, and look to see if any toilet paper became wet afterwards. If so, the flushing is causing a leak, and you'll need a plumber to service it.

Examining Your Hot Water Heater

There should be a small valve located on top of your hot water heater. Its purpose is to relieve pressure in the tank as a crucial safety mechanism, and it will release the pressure in the tank if pressure starts to reach explosive or dangerous levels. The valve can potentially degrade as it gets old, which will cause water to leak from it occasionally. What should be a red flag is if the valve has a constant drip. You'll need to have the valve replaced by a professional if this happens.

While these two are just a couple ways that water can leak, you cannot forget to check the obvious places as well, such as fixtures and faucets throughout your home. When you can't figure out where the leak is coming from, consider having a plumber come to your home to help find it for you. Contact a representative from an establishment like Lewis Plumbing.