House water leak GS Help

[goldtip5575]

I received a notice in the mail from our City Utility Administrator stating I may have a possible water leak, with a list of possible areas of the leak. First, I'm wondering what would they be seeing that I'm not that would trigger them to send me the notice? Our last water bill was same as normal for this time of year. Second, I have checked the various areas within the house they had listed as possible places leaks may be coming from, and see/hear nothing. Our water pressure has been lower, but we have experienced that in past years. Thirdly and most important, what is the best way to have someone come try and locate the possible leak. Any help from the GS would be appreciated.

[JayB]

Turn all your water off. Go out and look at meter. If it is not spinning you may not have a leak at all on your side of the meter.

oh look...what is that?

[goldtip5575]

Turn all your water off. Go out and look at meter. If it is not spinning you may not have a leak at all on your side of the meter.

oh look...what is that?

Thanks for the feedback. I'll give that a shot.

[muddydog]

You should have a meter. Turn off all running water and lift the cover. There should be a little dial that will turn when water is running. If it's turning you have a leak. If it's not, turn on some water and look at it. It will be turning.

[Stuck]

They sent the notice because your last reading indicated you were using more water than normal. Most districts allow X number of gallons used before you exceed your normal monthly bill. If that number is 10k gallons and you usually use 5k and this month you used 9.5k gallons they send that notice. Could be an underground leak (not fun) could be a s simple as 1 or 2 toilets running continuously due to a bad seal. As stated above, turn off all water in home and see if meter is turning.

[goldtip5575]

You should have a meter. Turn off all running water and lift the cover. There should be a little dial that will turn when water is running. If it's turning you have a leak. If it's not, turn on some water and look at it. It will be turning.

Ok, there is a turn off directly on the meter, I also have a shut off between the meter and where the main line enters the house. Do I just turn all the individual water sources inside the house off (toilets, sinks, washing machine) and check the meter? Do I close the shut off where the line enters the house? I'm assuming I don't turn off the water supply at the meter itself as they wouldn't show me anything, correct?

[JayB]

Ok, there is a turn off directly on the meter, I also have a shut off between the meter and where the main line enters the house. Do I just turn all the individual water sources inside the house off (toilets, sinks, washing machine) and check the meter? Do I close the shut off where the line enters the house? I'm assuming I don't turn off the water supply at the meter itself as they wouldn't show me anything, correct?

For now, only the faucets. If the meter is spinning when all are off, then you start isolating and turning off supply.

oh look...what is that?

[W-O]

Correct, turn off everything in the house and check the meter. If it is turning you have a leak (water is going somewhere). If you have a leak. then turn off where it goes in the house and if it is still spinning the leak is between the meter an house. Sometimes the low flow indicator will turn then stop, then turn which indicates a toilet filling up, draining down then filling up. Sometimes a water system will notify the customer to look for leaks if the meter reader notices meter spinning when he reads the meter and no one is believed to be home. Some new electronic read meters will alert the water system when they are read if the meter logs constant flow like a leak.

[goldtip5575]

Correct, turn off everything in the house and check the meter. If it is turning you have a leak (water is going somewhere). If you have a leak. then turn off where it goes in the house and if it is still spinning the leak is between the meter an house. Sometimes the low flow indicator will turn then stop, then turn which indicates a toilet filling up, draining down then filling up. Sometimes a water system will notify the customer to look for leaks if the meter reader notices meter spinning when he reads the meter and no one is believed to be home. Some new electronic read meters will alert the water system when they are read if the meter logs constant flow like a leak.

Thanks for the feedback. That's helpful

[texansfan]

Happened to me on a rent house some years ago.
Usually the water bill would be $30 a month. Then it shot up to $500 per month.

After 3 months finally flew out there (out of state property) only to find ground floor flooded.
Ran through the steps described above.
Come to find out a pipe in the slab from the water heater in the garage to the kitchen burst and cracked the slab.

Had to call a plumber out to run a pipe above the slab instead.
All is well.

[sideways]

Ask the city for a leak deduction credit


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[goldtip5575]

Just an update. I had previously noticed in the 1/2 bath that the toilet flap inside the tank might have a very slight trickle of water draining where it wasn't sealing completely. Shut the water supply off to that toilet, wwent outside and checked the meter while no other sources in the house were turned on, and the meter didn't move at all. Went back inside and turned the 1/2 bath toilet on, and went back out and the meter moved ever so slightly (it's digital, and changed digits after about 1 minute, so very slow). I will say I turned the water source off to that toilet last night and left it off, and this morning the tank was empty, so enough leak that a couple of gallons were lost overnight if not quicker. As a test I came back in and turned on the sink faucet and the meter turned digits quite rapidly. Gonna call the city tomorrow to discuss because our water pressure is still not what I think it should be, but it does not appear that it is an additional leak on my end. I replaced the flap in the commode and leak is fixed. Thanks for all the feedback and help.

[Bassdeer]

I wish my city was that way, two months ago get a water bill that says we used 33,000 gallons. I say what? Just two of us live here. That's over 1000 gallons a day. go out to the meter and the number reading is not even close. They read the meter wrong, got a credit.

[White Falcon]

Shot every thing in house off. Toilets at the shut off. Read meter wait 12 hrs if you can and reread meter to see if it moved. I had a very big leak. Bill was about 5X what is should be. Checked meter, city had installed new one. BUT they didn't tighten one end. City had to pay for that one.

[goldtip5575]

Spoke with City today to find out what triggered them to send me the leak notice. She stated we have the electronic read meters and it's data showed signs that indicated a possible slow constant leak. I told her I fixed the one commode, and mentioned I was still concerned about the overall water pressure. She said others in the area had concerns about the water pressure, so she turned in a work order to have the utility crew come out and check the pressure and to see if there were still any indications of possible leaks. She called me back this afternoon and said the pressure checked out per City requirements at 62 and showed no more leaks indicated. That's great news but I still worry about that 62 water pressure measurement being able to support consistent coverage with my sprinkler system this summer. Guess we'll see. Thanks to the G-screeners that sent their thoughts and assistance.