Dennis Fair, a Kentucky native raised in North Carolina, recently opened his second American Leak Detection franchise in the Greenville-Wilmington area. Like all American Leak Detection franchisees, Fair will offer his customers Leak Detection Without Destruction™.

“I knew I wanted to do something different with my life,” said Fair, who also operates a water well/filtration and plumbing business. “I had been looking for an opportunity to grow the business that I had for over 18 years. American Leak Detection has been a great way for me to expand my business and provide a service that saves people money and helps protect a precious resource. It’s a win-win.”

In February of 2011 Fair completed six weeks of intensive training away from his wife and two boys to become a certified “Original Leak Specialist.” He is providing a variety of leak detection services including pool and slab leak detection, electromagnetic pipeline location and infrared leak detection. Fair uses a variety of proprietary equipment and utilizes cutting-edge technology to find leaks without causing damage to a customer’s property. Fair now provides leak detection services in homes, businesses and municipalities from central North Carolina to the coast.

“I am proud to offer American Leak Detection’s tried and true services,” said Fair. “Being a part of an internationally known company is priceless and so is being my own boss.”

“We are pleased to welcome Dennis Fair to our family of franchisees,” says Patrick DeSouza, Chairman of American Leak Detection. “Dennis is committed to creating his own success. Finding leaks isn’t just a job, but a career that many people are enthusiastic about. Our franchisees save customers money, minimize property damage, and help conserve our most precious resource – water.”

Fair has also offered leak detection in central North Carolina for the past year. He now covers an area serving over three million residents and 51 counties in North Carolina, including the cities of: Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Fayetteville, Greenville, Wilmington, Jacksonville and surrounding areas.

For more information or to schedule an appointment with a leak detection specialist, call 919-877-9797 or 800-722-5215. For more information about American Leak Detection, visit www.americanleakdetection.com.

An April 27^th story titled “Downtown Palm Springs gets a make under,” states “leaks could cause more costly of an aesthetic problem-sinkholes or the sidewalk to buckle.”

Although irrigation system leaks may cause these issues in other parts of the country, specifically Florida, this outcome is unlikely in Palm Springs. The geology here consists of an alluvial fan, which was formed by the erosion from surrounding mountains. A depression in the ground’s surface, or sinkhole, generally occurs in limestone regions. Sandy basins like ours have little to no limestone beneath the surface. A small irrigation leak may cause minute cracks in concrete, but it’s highly unlikely it could cause a sinkhole. Earthquakes or tree root intrusion can cause sidewalks to buckle in this region.

A business owner angrily states “Sunday was Earth Day and this is how the city treats it-by ripping out plants.” Landscaping, no matter how mature or beautiful, can be replaced. On the other hand, water is not an unlimited resource.

I applaud the city for taking necessary proactive steps to address the leaking system. Water is money. A 1/8 inch hole in a metal pipe can leak 2,500 gallons of water in just 24 hours.

-Jimmy Carter, Senior Director of Corp. Field Services at American Leak Detection

With the next winter more than six months away, homes will sit idle and abandoned for a long period of time. There are several important steps snowbirds can take to prepare their homes for the long summer.

Consider ways to protect your winter home against:

Water leaks and high temperatures, which combined can lead to expensive mold damage.

American Leak Detection offices across the nation offer a 15+ point Leak Audit of your property. Expert technicians can locate potential problems in plumbing infrastructure before an issue surfaces. Many leaks are hidden beneath the surface or behind walls and are not visible until water, stains or mold surface.

Water damage is the leading cause of homeowners’ insurance claims. A small leak can cause major damage if it goes undetected, according to home columnist Kimberly Lankford.

Shut off the water before you leave and consider the benefits of installing a home generator, which will keep the air-conditioning functional if the electricity goes out from a storm. It’s also a good idea to have smoke detectors tied to a centrally monitored fire alarm system so your local fire department can be notified if the alarm goes off.

Also make sure you have the right type of homeowners’ insurance for your area. Buy a sewer back-up rider for your homeowners’ insurance policy and consider purchasing flood insurance from the National Flood Insurance Program.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the amount of water leaking from U.S. homes has the potential to exceed more than 1 trillion gallons per year. That is equivalent to the annual water use of all Southern California from Los Angeles to San Diego.

There are simple ways you can check for leaks in your home, without calling a professional. These include:

Check your supply lines, leaky faucets, shower valves and washer valve sets throughout the house. Common issues can be located beneath the sinks, in the laundry room and in bathrooms.

Monitor any increases in your monthly water bill. Perform a meter test to confirm you have no water leaks. You can save more water and money than you expect:

Homeowners can save more than 3,000 gallons per year by fixing any leaky showerheads (one drip per second) and faucets. You can easily replace inexpensive valve sets and washers. Also make sure to tighten all connections to supply lines, angle stops and all other water connections with a wrench.

You can save 6,300 gallons per month by evaluating your irrigation and sprinkler system to ensure it was not damaged by earth movement or earthquakes. A leak as small as the thickness of a dime can result in significant water loss.

Save over 18,000 gallons per year by switching to a low-flush, water sense labeled toilet. A family of four could save $2,000 in water and wastewater bills over the toilet’s lifetime just by installing these, according to an EPA report.

Photo courtesy of Folio Weekly

Your name. And address. And the exact amount of water your household used last year.

Is releasing this information and attempting to “shame” users into water conservation practices legal? In many states including Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Texas, Georgia and Florida, it is not only legal, but it is public information. Many times, these so-called “Hydro Hogs” names are published in local media outlets, on TV stations and online for everyone to read.

In many instances, having a large municipal water bill is understandable and can be attributed to expansive properties such as resorts, sports stadiums or public water parks. But many homeowners’ names fill these public lists and even though they may be large homes, there are multiple ways you can adopt preventive measures.

You can install efficient, or dual flush toilets and low-flow showerheads, check your home for leaks using the meter test and wash your car and water your lawn sparingly.

For more information:

http://www.news4jax.com/news/Channel-4-Finds-Jacksonville-s-Largest-Water-Users/-/475880/2085510/-/3x5mi7/-/index.html

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=209151

http://www.practicalenvironmentalist.com/anti-conservation/can-water-hogs-be-shamed-into-changing-their-ways.htm

But where should you look? Finding pool leaks can be a time consuming and difficult process, unless the proper training and certification has been received, similar to the training program that American Leak Detection technicians complete.

If you think you may have a swimming pool leak, it is a good idea to first run a bucket-test.

Some indicators of a leak are:

• Higher water usage rates; if the pool’s auto-fill is constantly kicking on, there may be  a pool leak.
• Chemicals needing to be added to the pool on a more-than-regular basis.
• Algae in the pool could also be a symptom of a pool leak.

When a pool is closed for the winter, it is very important to make sure all of the water has been drained from the pool; in the event there is water left behind, it can freeze over the cold winter months, which leads to cracking pipes.  Those cracked pipes can lead to pool leaks which are often found only after the pool is reopened in the spring.

To make sure that your pool season is leak-free, give American Leak Detection a call today so we can perform a water leak audit for you, on your pool, spa, home, or all three.

Many homeowners assume that purchasing this necessary policy will be a costly decision, but this is not always the case. Insurance companies often provide substantial discounts to policyholders who take preventive measures. In fact, they reward such behavior by offering a lower premium rate when owners take simple steps such as installing a burglar alarm or indoor sprinkler system in case of fire. These discounted rates encourage behavior that reduces the number and cost of claims.

Industry experts encourage homeowners to ask their agent which types of cost-saving measures are available and if the system is company approved.

One way to ensure the health of your property, while also receiving potential insurance discounts, is by conducting an annual leak inspection home audit of your plumbing infrastructure. American Leak Detection offers a curb to back fence 15+ point checklist inspection when an expert technician can examine every area of your property for potential problems before issues arise. Many leaks are hidden beneath the surface or behind walls and are not visible until water, stains or mold surface.

It’s important to be aware of the fact that floods are not covered by a standard home insurance policy. You can take preventative measures today to reduce your insurance costs and avoid a headache later.

For more information, check out this informational video describing different types of homeowners insurance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=GQ1MH7iCQrE#!

After moving in, you noticed a few patched areas on the walls and a little mildew around the shower. But every older home has that, right?

These seemingly minor problems could be the sign of a major undetected leak or structural plumbing damage. At times, you run into situations where old pipes have corroded or leaks have formed because the pipes were poorly installed the first time. These examples may not stand in the way of buying a house, but they should be reflected in the price of the property.

Warning Signs

Sellers are very unlikely to divulge information about past or present leak issues, so it’s your responsibility to search for evidence that may suggest a problem. First, you need to know where to look. Leaks often hide in hot and cold plumbing pipes, sewer and drain systems, shut-off valves, sink countertops, hot water heaters, sinks, tubs or showers and natural gas, propane or heating oil systems. Pools, spas and lawn sprinkler systems are also problem areas.

Next, you must know what to look for. A gas leak can be discovered with the smell of gas or a high gas bill. Water leaks are less obvious, but there are some telltale signs. Watch for:

-Patched areas in the drywall or plaster, exposed concrete or tile, or the pool deck (this shows a history of past leaks.)

-Cracks in the shower pan, foundation, pool, deck or other exposed concrete

-Mildew around shower doors, under cabinets or near any water-using appliances

-Buckling or bending woodwork, flooring or drywall

-Running toilets, dripping faucets or the sound of running water when nothing is on

-Unusually wet or moist areas in the yard, often with thriving grass or plants

-Loose of falling tiles in a pool or spa

-A settling of the entire pool or spa structure into the ground

If you notice any of these problems, ask the property owner or agent for any records indicating the home’s plumbing, sewer or leak history. With these records now in hand, you can investigate the extent of the problem.

Finding the right people and good advice is extremely valuable when you’re dealing with a potentially costly leak. A great starting point for this information is typically your insurance company or homeowner’s association. These entities handle property issues on a daily basis.

What will they recommend you do in a leaking emergency? Take responsibility for your property. In other words, do whatever it takes to alleviate damage to your property- and do it quickly.

-Turn the building’s water off if water is surfacing from under your concrete floor.

-If the water leakage occurs whenever you use a fixture such as the shower, stop using it until the problem is identified and repaired.

-Contact your insurer. They can recommend a preferred service company whom they have found provides accurate, reasonably priced and efficient services.

-Take photos of the problem before, during and after the discovery and repair process. At times, your adjuster isn’t able to personally see the site during the problem stages. Your pictures, along with those taken by the leak detection company, can help in the decision making process.

“We started dressing him up just for fun and now people say they look forward to seeing him every time,” said Carol Bachi. “It’s like walking around with a movie star; everyone stops and marvels at his size and asks to pet him or get photos.”

Although Keeper may not be the “official” corporate mascot for the company just yet, his resume has been submitted!

The Bachi’s have owned and managed the Daytona Beach territory since 1997 where they offer leak detection services in Volusia and Flagler Counties. They have been awarded eight Quality Customer Service Awards since 1998.