How can I tell if I have a hidden leak?

Common signs are a water bill that jumps with no change in use, the sound of running water when everything is off, damp or stained drywall, a musty smell, and a water meter that keeps moving when no one is using water.

How do I check my water meter for a leak?

Turn off every faucet and appliance that uses water. Then look at your meter. Most meters have a small leak indicator, often a triangle or dial, that moves when water is flowing. If it spins with everything off, water is going somewhere.

Can a running toilet cause a high bill?

Yes. A flapper that does not seal lets water trickle into the bowl all day. Add a few drops of food coloring to the tank and wait 15 minutes without flushing. If color reaches the bowl, the flapper is leaking.

What if the leak is under my slab?

Then the next step is repair, which is covered on our slab leak repair page. We find the leak first so you are not guessing about where it is.

Is a leak an emergency?

A small leak is not always an emergency, but water damage grows with time. If water is spraying, soaking a ceiling, or running without stopping, call right away. See our emergency leak and burst pipe repair page.

What does a leak detection visit cost?

The visit starts with the $79 dispatch fee, which is applied toward your repair total when you approve the recommended work. We give you an estimate before we start.

Leak Detection in Aubrey, TX | Vor-Tex Plumbing Co.

A leak you cannot see still costs you: leak detection in Aubrey and Denton County

Most leaks announce themselves with a drip or a puddle. The expensive ones usually do not. They run inside a wall, under a floor, or in a buried line, and you find out when the water bill arrives. Vor-Tex Plumbing Co. is a family owned local business in Aubrey, and we find hidden leaks for homeowners across Denton County. We trace the water to its source, tell you where it is, and give you the repair price before work begins. This page is part of our drain and sewer services.

Clues that point to a hidden leak

A water bill that rises and your habits have not changed.
A water meter that moves when every fixture is off.
The sound of running or hissing water in quiet rooms.
Damp spots, stains, or bubbling paint on walls and ceilings.
Warm areas on the floor, which can point to a hot water line.
A musty smell, mold, or warped flooring.
Low water pressure at some or all fixtures.
Wet patches in the yard when it has not rained or the sprinklers are off.

Try these checks yourself first

Two quick tests can narrow things down before you call.

The meter test

Turn off all water in the house, including the ice maker and any irrigation. Find your meter and look at the leak indicator. If it keeps moving, water is leaking somewhere after the meter. Write down the reading, wait an hour with nothing running, and check again.

The toilet dye test

Put a few drops of food coloring in each toilet tank. Do not flush for 15 minutes. If color shows up in the bowl, that flapper leaks. A leaking flapper is a simple fix and a common cause of a high bill. Our toilet repair page covers the fix.

Where leaks hide

Location	What you might notice
Inside a wall	Stains, soft drywall, sound of water
Under the slab	Warm floor spots, damp carpet, high bill
In the attic or ceiling	Ceiling stains, drips after the heater runs
Buried between the meter and the house	Wet yard patch, low pressure, meter moving
Under a sink or behind an appliance	Warped cabinet floor, musty smell

What we do

We start with the symptoms you describe and the checks above. Then we work through the house and the supply lines to narrow down where the water is escaping, and we confirm the source before we recommend a fix. You get a plain answer: where the leak is, what it has affected, and what the repair involves. If the leak turns out to be under the slab, we explain the options on our slab leak repair page. If the water is actively flooding, we treat it as an emergency, and the first steps are on our burst pipe page.

Call right away if

Water is dripping from a ceiling light or through a wall.
The meter spins fast even with everything off.
You see mold or soft, sagging drywall.
Your water bill has doubled and you cannot find the cause.

If you can reach it safely, shut off the main water valve while you wait.

What a visit looks like

You call (469) 552-2881. Describe what you have noticed and share any meter readings. We book the first same-day or next-day window, or come right out for active leaks.
We look and quote on site. The $79 dispatch fee covers the visit and is applied toward your repair total when you approve the recommended work.
You get the estimate first. Nothing starts until you say yes.
We do the work and show you. Then you pay, and we ask for a review.
Warranty. Parts and labor carry a 5-year warranty when we supply the parts.

Leaks that are not from your pipes

Not every high bill is a pipe leak. A running toilet, a dripping faucet, a leaking irrigation valve, or a stuck fill valve can all add up. We check the simple sources early, so you are not paying for a bigger search than the problem needs.

Why finding it matters

A leak repaired late costs more than one repaired early, because water ruins drywall, flooring, and insulation, and it feeds mold. A pinhole in a pipe will not stop on its own. If a pipe keeps failing in different places, the problem may be the pipe, and repiping is worth discussing. For a broader look, ask about a plumbing inspection.

Leak Detection