A high water bill in Arizona can be confusing—especially when your household’s water use has not changed.
Some leaks are easy to spot. Others develop behind walls, beneath flooring, underground, or below a home’s concrete slab. These hidden leaks can continue wasting water long before visible damage appears.
Here is what Arizona homeowners should check when a water bill suddenly increases.
A toilet can continue running quietly without being immediately noticeable. Even a small toilet leak can waste a significant amount of water over time.
Place a few drops of food coloring inside the toilet tank and wait approximately 15 minutes without flushing. If the color appears in the bowl, water is leaking from the tank.
A worn flapper, fill valve, or seal is often responsible.
Check every faucet, showerhead, outdoor hose connection, and appliance supply line.
Pay attention to:
A small visible drip may not explain a major increase by itself, but several small leaks can add up.
Your water meter can help determine whether water is moving when it should not be.
First, turn off every faucet and water-using appliance inside and outside the home. Make sure no toilets are running, and do not use any water during the test.
Check the meter and write down the reading. Wait approximately 30 minutes, then check it again.
If the reading changes while everything is off, water may be escaping somewhere in the plumbing system.
A warm or hot area on tile or flooring may indicate a leaking hot-water line beneath the slab.
Other possible slab-leak warning signs include:
A cold-water slab leak may not create a warm spot. Sometimes the first noticeable symptom is simply a higher water bill.
Not every water leak originates inside the home. Broken sprinkler heads, damaged irrigation lines, and improperly programmed watering schedules can substantially increase water use.
Walk around the property and look for:
If the irrigation system appears normal but the meter continues moving, the problem may be within the home’s plumbing or main water line.
Turn off everything that uses water and listen carefully.
The sound of water moving, dripping, or hissing inside a wall can indicate a pressurized plumbing leak. Check near bathrooms, the kitchen, laundry room, water heater, and exterior walls.
Contact a licensed plumber when:
Professional leak detection helps locate the source before walls or flooring are opened unnecessarily.
Straight Flush Plumbing provides residential leak detection and pipe repair in Surprise, Peoria, Glendale, Sun City, Sun City West, and surrounding West Valley communities.
We identify where the water is coming from, explain what we find, and provide a flat-rate price before repair work begins.
If your water bill increased unexpectedly or you suspect a hidden leak, call Straight Flush Plumbing at (602) 919-0458 or request plumbing service.