In this section

Tips for saving water home

Indoors

• Leak detection
• Toilets
• Showers and baths
• Faucets
• Laundry and dishwashing
• Additional tips
• Florida Water StarSM indoor resources

Outdoors

• Irrigation schedule
• Irrigation hours
• Irrigation amounts
• Irrigation methods
• Micro-irrigation, the basics
• Lawn maintenance
• Additional tips
• Florida Water StarSM irrigation resources

Leak detection

Learning to read your water meter can pay off. It’s easy to do and it is a way to determine if you have a leak in your home.

First, turn off all the water in your house. (Remember to wait for the hot water heater and ice-cube makers to refill, and for regeneration of water softeners.)

Next, go to your water meter and jot down all the numbers you see. Also, look at the flow indicator gauge, which is a small red triangle or diamond. If it is not moving you do not have a serious leak.

To check for slow leaks, read your water meter before and after a one-hour period when no water is being used. If the readings are different after the one-hour period, you have a leak. If you have a well, listen for the pump to kick on and off while the water is not in use. If it does, you have a leak.

Some areas to check include toilets, faucets, malfunctioning water softners, swimming pools, water heaters and faulty irrigation valves. Other leaks can be harder to find such as underground leaks, foundation leaks and leaks behind walls. These may require the assistance of a plumber to locate.