Plumbing · triage
High water bill or a hidden leak
The short answer
Do a meter test: with all water off, note the meter, wait two hours, check again. Any change means a leak. Toilets are the most common culprit; test them with food coloring.
Wet walls or floorsSoft drywall, warped floors or a warm spot on a slab floor can mean a pipe leak inside the structure. Close the main shutoff if water is spreading.
Know your shutoffs
Every outcome on this card
WatchNo leak on the meter
Look at use instead.
- Compare with the same month last year
- Check irrigation schedules and outdoor hoses
- Ask the utility to re-read or test the meter
This weekA leaking toilet
Fix this week.
- Replace the flapper
- Check the fill valve level
- Retest
This weekA leak somewhere else
Track it down this week.
- Check faucets, the water heater, hose bibs and irrigation
- Look for wet spots in the yard along the service line
- Call a plumber with leak-detection equipment Slab and in-wall leaks need it.
Related
Written from
Original casaq guidance, updated 2026-10-05. General guidance, not a diagnosis; licensed-pro review pending. Severity levels: Emergency now / Today / This week / This month / Watch. Send a correction.
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