//Quick answer
- Monthly: toilets, under sinks, supply hoses, and the water meter test.
- Weekly: grease in the trash, strainers in the drains, hair out of the shower.
- Twice a year: turn the main shutoff and the angle stops so they are not seized when you need them.
01Definition
What does the monthly leak check cover?
Toilets: a few drops of food coloring in the tank; color in the bowl after ten minutes without flushing means the flapper is leaking. Under sinks and around angle stops: feel for moisture, look for staining, corrosion or swollen cabinet wood. Supply hoses to the washer, dishwasher and fridge: the common failure points. Walls and ceilings: yellowing, bubbling paint or a musty smell. Then the meter test: everything off, and the meter should not move.
What drain habits actually prevent clogs?
Grease cools and goes in the trash, never the sink. Strainers in the kitchen and bathroom drains. Hair out of the shower drain, because hair and soap scum build the clog. Nothing but paper down the toilet; wipes do not break down. Chemical drain opener is not a maintenance product; it damages older pipe and does not remove the build-up.
02When it applies
Why exercise the shutoff valves?
Because a valve that has not been turned in years seizes, and the moment you need it is a burst pipe. Twice a year, find the main shutoff and confirm it turns, then turn each angle stop under the sinks and toilets gently and return it. Look for green or white crust at valves and fittings while you are there; that is corrosion starting.
What should you look at on the water heater?
The floor around the base for dampness, rust streaks or a puddle. Rumbling or popping when it fires, which is sediment. Hot water that runs out sooner than it used to. A weeping relief valve. A $150 tune-up flushes the sediment and checks the parts; a wet base means the tank is done.
03What goes wrong
Which warning signs mean it is time to call?
A water bill that jumped with no change in use. Damp drywall, baseboards or flooring. A musty smell near a bathroom or kitchen. Clogs that keep coming back. Running water you can hear with everything off. A warm spot on a slab floor. Each of those is a leak or a line problem, and each costs less the earlier it is found.
04Proof
- No trip charge, a 1-hour response time, and 24/7 emergency service.
- Robert Bergholtz, Google, December 24, 2025: "Logan does a great job at explaining what is needed and what to watch for going forward."
- Done-Rite works both slab-on-grade and raised-foundation homes across Orange County.
- 4.9 stars across 1,720+ Google reviews on the Orange profile, checked September 17, 2026.
05Action
Found something on the list?
A moving meter or a recurring clog is worth a visit. Leak detection has no trip charge, and drain snaking is $99 with the camera inspection included on a qualifying drain.
//Keep going
Learn
//Terms used in this guide
Where this applies
Done-Rite runs these calls across Orange County from its shop in Anaheim, CA, with no trip charge in any city it serves.
Common questions
The meter test. With every fixture and appliance off, a moving meter means water is leaving the system. A bill that jumped with no change in use says the same thing.
Done-Rite does not recommend it. It sits against the pipe wall, damages older cast iron and ABS, and rarely removes the real build-up. Strainers and grease habits do more.
Once a year is the usual interval. Orange County's hard water builds sediment faster, which is what the $150 tune-up addresses.
