Hear Water Running When Nothing Is On? What It Means in Arlington

If you hear water running with every tap off, the most likely causes are a running toilet, a water heater refilling after a relief valve drip, an irrigation valve stuck open, or a pressurized pipe leaking in a wall, under the slab or in the yard. A 15-minute water meter test tells you if it is a real leak. Call (817) 285-5426 if the meter moves.

Once you know water is escaping, our leak detection Arlington TX team uses acoustic listening gear and thermal cameras to find the spot without opening walls or floors at random.

Where is the sound coming from?

How do you do the meter test?

1. Turn off every tap, the dishwasher, the washer, the ice maker and the sprinklers.
2. Find your meter box, usually near the curb in Arlington, and lift the lid.
3. Watch the small leak dial (a triangle or star) for a full minute.
4. Write down the reading and check again after 15 minutes.
5. Close the main shut-off at the house and watch again. If the dial stops, the leak is inside. If it keeps moving, the leak is in the line between the meter and the house.

A leak on the house side of the main is often under the slab or in a wall. A leak on the street side points to the buried service line, which our waterline leak detection arlington guide covers.

What are the 6 most common sources?

1. A running toilet

A worn flapper lets water seep into the bowl, and the tank refills every so often. Put a few drops of food coloring in the tank. If color shows up in the bowl within 15 minutes, you found it.

2. A slab leak

Arlington's clay soil swells and shrinks, which stresses copper lines under the foundation. A hot water slab leak often makes a soft rushing sound and a warm spot on the floor.

3. A wall or ceiling pipe

A pinhole leak or a loose fitting in a wall can hiss for weeks before a stain shows. You may hear it best at night with an ear to the drywall.

4. The water heater

A relief valve that drips lets the tank keep refilling. Look for water in the pan or on the discharge pipe outside.

5. An irrigation valve

A sprinkler valve that does not fully close can run water to the yard all day. Look for one zone that stays soggy.

6. The service line

The pipe from the meter to the house can crack from soil movement or tree roots. Wet spots, green patches or sinking soil along its path are the giveaway.

When should you call for leak detection?

Call if the meter's leak dial moves with everything off, if the sound is steady, if you find a warm spot on the floor, or if your bill jumped with no change in use. Basic leak detection in Arlington runs about $150 to $400, and slab leak detection about $250 to $600. You get the price before any work starts.

If the leak turns out to be under the foundation, ask about slab leak repair in Arlington TX. Spot repairs and reroutes are both options, and pinpointing the leak first keeps the repair small.