How can I find what seems to be an invisible plumbing leak?

Question

I have a leak somewhere under my house that I cannot locate. Sure, I could call a plumber, but now it is a matter of pride. It is not in any of the sinks, tolets, or appliances. The water meeter runs constently until I shut off the cutoff valve in my garqage. I've gone over every inch of pipe under the house and can find no sign of water. I do know that the leak is in the cold water pipes but cannot figgure out where the water is going. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

use bosch leak detector

Answer 2

turn off ALL the angle stops in the house

check the meter, if its running there's a leak in a pipe somewhere and you'll have to play detective

if it stops then turn them on 1x1 and have someone look at the meter and tell you when it starts running

there's your culprit

Answer 3

Did you check the toilet ? It could be a cracked overflow tube.

The other thing to do is to shut off one thing at a time until the water stops running.  I have also used a stethoscope and listened to where the water is flowing strongest to each branch.

You might also install a couple of shut offs to different lines and isolate the leak that way.

Answer 4

What floor is it on? Is there any heating sorce near this leek? Is the leak only when it is raining? or only when a appliance is on. You must trouble shoot the area. Listen with a stethescope, if you have one. Is it a leak from a heating pipe or a waste line, fresh water feed like the a sink or unit like the ice machine or from the roof line. You must try to pin point the area and then continue the investegate the area. even if you have to brake open the wall where the wter is most likely to be closes to the water damage.

Answer 5

Since it's not wet inside your house the water is either outside,(any wet areas of yard?) or going directly into a drain.  Just to throw out ideas, have you checked the t&p valve on your water heater, how about sprinkler system?  My money's on a toilet.

Answer 6

check ur balltaps running into ur toilets and cisterns in the attic if u have a cylinder then take off ur bath panel and check under there

Answer 7

Do you have a outside buried type faucet you don.t use or possibly not know about or a extension going somewhere else?

Answer 8

Are you sure it is not ground water coming in down there? If you are sure it is in the plumbing first look at the joints (I am assuming copper tubing) for signs of coorision where fittings are soldered to the pipe. If that doesn't locate it try getting one of those  pressure testers that were used when the house was first built and needed to be checked for leaks. Turn off the hot and cold supply valves. Then pressurize the plumbing with compressed air through the tester's air inlet. Make a note of the pressure and then recheck it after a half hour. If it has gone down then there is a leak in the pipes or their fittings. Now look for sprays of water coming out at the site of the leak.

Answer 9

Call your local water authority. They will gladly help you find the source of the wasted water.