The pipe you can see is rarely the one that fails first. A burst or leaking pipe behind a wall, under a slab or underground can run for weeks before anyone notices. We’re a referral service, with no local office, and we connect callers with independent plumbers. What follows can save you money by catching a hidden leak early.
The five-minute meter test
- Turn off every tap and appliance that uses water. That includes the dishwasher, washer, ice maker and any irrigation system.
- Find your water meter. It’s usually in a covered box near the street or in a basement or utility room.
- Look at the leak indicator. Many meters have a small triangle or wheel that spins when any water is moving. If it turns with everything off, water is going somewhere.
- Note the reading, wait 30 to 60 minutes without using water, and read it again. Any change confirms a leak.
- Close the main valve inside the house and look again. If the meter stops, the leak is inside your house. If it keeps moving, the leak is between the meter and the house, or at a valve that isn’t sealing.
Reading your bill
Compare the last few bills. A jump without a reason such as guests, a pool fill or a new appliance is a prompt to test the meter. It’s also worth looking at the dates: a leak that started a few weeks ago will show up mostly in the most recent bill. WSSC Water may be able to help you read your meter and understand your usage if you call them, but a leak on the house side is yours to repair.
Where hidden leaks tend to hide
- Inside walls near bathrooms and kitchens, as covered on our page on wall pipe leaks.
- Under floors or slabs, where you may feel a warm spot or hear running water.
- Underground between the meter and the house; see main water line repair.
- In a toilet that runs silently, which is not a burst pipe but can look like one on the bill.
Once you’ve confirmed a leak
Close the main valve, keep it off while you get help, and call. Leak detection comes first, and the repair second: a plumber may use listening devices or thermal cameras to find the source before cutting anything. Our page on emergency burst pipe repair explains the next steps. Wet basements raise a different question, whether the water comes from a pipe or the ground, and the Lake Potomac page covers that. The overview of how a call works is on burst pipe repair in Potomac.
Questions people ask
My meter doesn’t have a leak indicator. How do I test?
Is a running toilet a burst pipe?
Who fixes a leak between the meter and the house?
Burst pipe services you can ask for
Wall Pipe Leak Repair
Hidden leaks inside walls: damp drywall, stains, sound of running water.
Main Water Line Repair
The line that carries water from the street into your house.
Emergency Burst Pipe Repair
A split pipe or blown joint with water actively escaping.
A note on this guide. This page is general information, last reviewed October 2026. It can’t replace a plumber looking at your actual pipes, and Burst Pipe Fix Pros does not perform plumbing work.