In addition to constantly watching your pipes for leaks, Phyn runs diagnostic tests called Plumbing Checks that discover the tiniest of leaks, as small as a few drips per minute. When Phyn runs a Plumbing check, it turns off your water for a few minutes and monitors the pressure in your pipe. If there is any loss of pressure during the Plumbing Check, it will send you an alert that could mean a few things:
- You could have a dripping faucet or spigot. Visually inspect all of the spigots and faucets in and around your home to see if they need to be closed, tightened or fixed.
- One of your toilets may be leaking small amounts of water due to an unseated or failing toilet flapper. To see if this is the cause of the alert, you can turn off the toilet at the stop (the lever on the wall behind the toilet) and run another Plumbing Check. If the check comes back normal, this toilet was the culprit. Another way to test toilets is to put a drop of food coloring into the tank and watch to see if the color shows up in the bowl.
- You may have a small drip or leak somewhere in your plumbing. First, eliminate the possibility that the alert is caused by a spigot or faucet by inspecting them visually and making any adjustments to stop them from dripping. Then, turn off all of your sinks and toilets at their stops and run a few more Plumbing Checks. If the check comes back normal, it was one of these fixtures causing the alert. If not, you may want to consult a plumber to have them help you locate the leak.
- If you have outdoor irrigation or sprinkler system, one of the irrigation solenoid valves might be leaking. If you shut off the water to your irrigation system, and re-run the Plumbing Check and the Plumbing Check comes back normal, then you have discovered the source of the leak. You may need to contact a plumber to assist you in detecting where the leak is located. Plumbers typically test for irrigation system leaks by disabling the irrigation cycle and waiting a few hours to ensure the area around each sprinkler head is dry. Then they visually inspect each sprinkler head or valve for moisture., using paper towels.