Greater Vernon Water

Not all leaks leave a puddle on the floor. The sneaky leaks manage to drain away without ever leaving a sign. Here are the common culprits:

• Leaking toilets are the most widespread leak. This sometimes happens when the reservoir level is too high. The water leaks into the overflow tube, and into the toilet bowl. You may be able to fix this by adjusting the float arm screw, or bending the float arm down. Also when the flapper valves get old and brittle, and don't close properly, or the flapper valve is not filling the hole properly a toilet will leak. To diagnose this problem, pour two or three drops of red food colouring into the tank. If you notice the dye in the bowl 15 minutes later, you have a leak. A new flapper valve may be required.

• Automatic water purifiers reverse osmosis devices, or water softeners can also develop leaks that do not show up on the floor. Each of these devices should have their own shut off [valve]. If your snoop indicator is turning, turn off each of the suspected appliances one by one. If the snoop indicator stops when one of the isolation valves is off, you've found your leak.