Leak Detection in Burtonsville, MD

What happens when you call

Your call reaches an independent plumber who covers Burtonsville and the US 29 corridor. Be ready to say how long your bill has been up, whether the meter moves with everything off and whether you've seen dampness, stains or a soggy patch of yard. Mention irrigation or a basement bathroom; both are common leak sources. The plumber uses that to plan whether to start indoors or on the buried line.

At the house, the plumber usually checks the meter and main shutoff, tests toilets and the water heater, then closes off branches until the flow stops. Thermal imaging and moisture meters locate leaks inside walls; acoustic equipment helps find one underground.

What affects the cost

• How far the plumber has to go, from a single fixture to every branch
• Whether the water is escaping inside finished walls, under a basement slab or in the yard
• Equipment needed to trace the leak
• Repair size, from a fill valve to a section of service line
• Permits, since WSSC Water oversees most plumbing work in Montgomery County

Burtonsville specifics

Burtonsville is an unincorporated community centered on the US 29 and MD 198 crossroads, on the edge of Howard County. WSSC Water supplies water and sewer; the County Water and Sewer Plan assigns every property a service category, so outlying addresses can confirm theirs with the County.

WSSC is responsible for the service line from the main to the property line, and the homeowner owns everything from the property line into the house. A break on your side is your repair; a break toward the street is WSSC's, and you report it at 301-206-4002.

Many yards have in-ground irrigation, and WSSC requires the backflow assembly on those systems to be tested every year by a certified cross-connection technician. Heads, valves and laterals past that device are the owner's, and they're a frequent source of hidden water loss.

Before the plumber gets there

• Shut off the irrigation controller so it doesn't run during testing
• Write down two meter readings an hour apart with no water in use
• Check that the main valve turns, without forcing it
• Move stored items away from the water heater and basement walls
• Have recent bills ready to show when usage changed