DIY Water Checks: The Things You Should Be Doing Before You Call Us

Now of course we want you to call us, we want to help you but there are so many simple things you can check before reaching for Whatsapp or email and contacting Canary Detect. You might well still need us but a few simple checks can stop the initial panic of a water leak and also help us do our job efficiently and effectively

You don’t need to be a plumbing expert to take control just a few simple checks can help you spot problems early, protect your property, and save a significant amount of money. That constant drip, drip, drip from a tap is not just annoying that could be thousands of litres of water a year literally going down the drain. And the worst surprise is that dripping can add up to a surprisingly high water bill, but beyond the personal financial cost, there is a wider community cost.

It puts an unnecessary strain on Lanzarote’s desalination plants and our island’s finite resources. In a place like Lanzarote, where every drop of water is precious, even small leaks can have a surprisingly aggressive impact on your wallet and the environment. Taking a few minutes to check for leaks is a small investment that pays off for you and the community.

So, even for those of us who reach for the classified ads, dive online or starting texting our friends as soon as there’s a mere hint of a problem, here are a few things you should actually do on a regular basis to protect your home and spot any potential issues before they turn into a major excavation.

Your First Line of Defence: The Water Meter

The simplest test you can do, and arguably the most important.

Your water meter is your absolute best friend for detecting hidden leaks. It does not lie, it does not exaggerate, and it is remarkably easy to consult and hopefully everyone knows where to find their meter. Here’s a simple check you can do today:

Turn everything off. Make sure no taps are running, the washing machine is completely off, and no one is enthusiastically using the shower.
Read your meter. Take a photo or write down the exact numbers on your water meter.
Wait. Leave everything off for at least 30 minutes. An hour is even better. In this instance, do nothing that involves water, this is not the time for a cup of tea. Just wait, hey have a conversation with your other half!
Read the meter again. Check the meter again. If the numbers have changed, you likely have a leak somewhere in your system.

Common Culprits Hiding in Plain Sight

Now if your water meter suggests you might have a leak, breathe, this does not necessarily mean you have something akin to Angel Falls running through your house, there are a lot of common reasons that you may be able to work out yourself, even if you can’t fix them and that alone helps alleviate that initial panic.

The usual suspects that don’t require specialist equipment to find.

Once you know you have a leak, where do you look? Many leaks don’t need acoustic listening devices or thermal imaging to work out where they are coming from. There are a few common problem areas you can, and should, check yourself.

Toilets: A constantly running toilet is a major water waster. Check for a silent leak by adding a few drops of food colouring to the cistern. Wait about 15 minutes without flushing. If colour appears in the bowl, your flapper valve isn’t sealing properly and needs to be replaced. It is a simple fix that saves a fortune. You would not believe how many of these we come across in our day to day work.
Appliance Hoses: Check the hoses connected to your washing machine, dishwasher, and water heater. Look for bulges, cracks, or any signs of moisture. These hoses are under constant pressure and can fail unexpectedly, usually when you are on holiday.
Taps and Showerheads: Don’t ignore those drips. Often, a simple washer replacement is all that’s needed to fix a leaky tap. Ignoring it does not make it go away; it just makes the water bill larger. If you have a vacant property and you see small water usage, there’s a really good chance someone has left a tap ever so slightly open. You can sort that, easy!
Walls: Watch your paint. Flaking paint, blistering plaster, or “furry” walls can often be a clear indicator of a leak behind the surface. A quick check on your water system will confirm if you have a leak.
Water Heaters: Check the hot and cold water valves on your heater. Any drips or increasing erosion are an indicator that your boiler may fail soon. It is much better to replace a failing valve than to deal with a flooded utility room. Water heaters in Lanzarote do not have the same life span as those in the UK, so checking these on a regular basis is key. Trust me I speak from experience!

The Outdoor Checks You’re Probably Forgetting

Our natural instinct and lets be honest where the most damage is likely to be is inside our properties but don’t forget outside, they are lurking there too.

Because leaks don’t just happen indoors.

We often focus so much on the inside of the house that we completely ignore what is happening outside. Yet, outdoor leaks can be some of the most expensive, precisely because they can run for months without anyone noticing. The ground absorbs the evidence, and the first you know about it is a water bill that causes a mild panic attack.

Take a walk around your garden. Are there damp patches on your patio or in your picon even though it’s been dry?? That is not a miracle of nature; that is likely a broken irrigation pipe or an external water pipe that’s cracked. The one thing we know about Lanzarote plumbing is it’s far from straightforward and even though you might see a damp patch where frankly there couldn’t possibly be a pipe, guess what there might well be!. Check your outdoor taps for drips, and inspect the connections on your garden hoses.

If you have a pool, keep an eye on the water level. Evaporation is normal, especially in Lanzarote, but if you find yourself topping it up significantly more often than usual, you might have a leak in the pool’s plumbing or structure. A simple bucket test – placing a bucket of water on the pool steps and marking the water level both inside and outside the bucket – can tell you if the pool is losing water faster than it should through evaporation alone.

When to Call in the Professionals

When the DIY ends and the real work begins.

These DIY checks are a great first step and can help you catch many common problems. Some of those problems you may even be able to fix yourself – you knew that they DIY Plumbing book would come in useful one day. However, if your meter is still running, or your water pump is kicking in unexpectedly and you can’t find the source, you may have a more complex or hidden leak in your pipes. That’s when it’s time to call for professional help. Or if you’re stuck in Blighty and your property is here then we can help.

If you suspect you might have a leak somewhere but you’re not 100% sure, Canary Detect—The Leaky Finders—offer a free leak confirmation test Free Leak Confirmation Test Lanzarote | Canary Detect. We will utilise our skills, experience, and detection equipment to confirm for definite if your property has a leak or not. We don’t guess. We verify.

Once a leak is confirmed, Canary Detect offers comprehensive leak detection surveys Hidden Water Leak Detection Lanzarote | No Find, No Fee using advanced technology to pinpoint the exact location of leaks without causing unnecessary damage to your property. Regular check-ups can prevent major issues, save you money, and give you peace of mind. By taking a proactive approach to your home’s plumbing, you’re not just protecting your property—you’re investing in its future and helping to conserve Lanzarote’s most valuable resource.

Protect your property against leaks

Of course the best thing to do is protect your property so that leaks can be spotted proactively before they manifest themselves in a huge water bill or a puddle. Our innovative LeakGuard device does exactly that.

LeakGuard has the intelligence and power to catch a water leak in 24 hours not 6 weeks.

LeakGuard AI puts a device on your meter and a trained AI — Aunt Polly — behind it, reading your water around the clock. On Lanzarote, where every litre is manufactured, that means catching leaks and waste the same day.

Our device monitors your water flow. If something unusual happens, like a tap left running or a pipe bursting, we detect it and call you immediately. You don’t need to do anything. No app. No checking data. We handle everything.

To find out more about this and how it can save you time and stress, please visit LeakGuard Lanzarote — AI Water-Leak Monitoring · Aunt Polly our dedicated LeakGuard website, by Canary Detect, The Leaky Finders.