That weird hissing sound behind the bathroom door...

I’m not totally sold on the water meter method for every situation. I tried it last year when I heard a weird hiss, but my meter barely moved even though the fill valve was leaking into the bowl all night. Maybe it helps with bigger leaks, but tiny ones seem to slip by. I usually go straight to shutting off the valves one by one - less guesswork, honestly. Those cheap stethoscopes? Used one once, but felt like it just picked up everything except what I was looking for. Maybe I’m just not patient enough...

I get what you mean about the water meter not catching those slow leaks. Honestly, I kinda like using food coloring in the tank - cheap, quick, and it’s caught a couple sneaky leaks for me that the meter didn’t even hint at. Shutting off valves works, but sometimes I forget which one does what and end up turning off the wrong thing... Not a huge deal, just a minor headache. Never had much luck with those stethoscopes either - felt like I was listening to my own heartbeat more than anything else.

Honestly, I get the appeal of the food coloring trick - cheap and easy, sure - but it’s not always reliable if you’re dealing with leaks outside the toilet tank. I’ve found a digital moisture meter way more versatile. Picked one up for under $20 and it’s saved me from tearing up drywall for no reason. The stethoscope thing never worked for me either... felt like I was playing doctor, not fixing plumbing. If you’re worried about which valve does what, labeling them with tape and a Sharpie saves a lot of headaches down the line.

I get where you're coming from with the moisture meter, but honestly, I’ve had mixed results with those - sometimes they pick up false positives in older buildings with weird humidity pockets. For me, the old-fashioned method of just checking for soft spots or discoloration still works best most of the time. And about labeling valves, sure, it helps, but if you’ve got tenants, half the time they’ll peel the tape off anyway or ignore it. Sometimes you just have to accept a bit of chaos in plumbing...

Yeah, I’ve been burned by those moisture meters too - spent money on one and it kept telling me the wall was “wet” when it was just cold. For me, I do a quick check: feel for soft spots, look for stains, and tap around to listen for hollow sounds. If I’m really unsure, I fold up a paper towel and tape it to the spot for a day. If it’s damp, then I know it’s not just humidity.

About valves - totally agree, labeling only works until someone decides to “fix” it. Ever tried color-coded zip ties? They’re harder to peel off, but maybe that’s just me being cheap. How do you handle it when you can’t find the source of a weird plumbing noise - tear into the wall, or just wait and see if it gets worse?