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So I got my water bill and I normally use 2k gallons of water at $18 per month, bill was $200 and 22k gallons. Told I may have a leak, I have no running toilets and no visible leaks so have to call a plumber to check. Home was build in 2004...what should I expect...also how much will plumber cost for assessing problem. It is a townhome so not sure what rules are if it is a problem outside whatever that means...help!
So I got my water bill and I normally use 2k gallons of water at $18 per month, bill was $200 and 22k gallons. Told I may have a leak, I have no running toilets and no visible leaks so have to call a plumber to check. Home was build in 2004...what should I expect...also how much will plumber cost for assessing problem. It is a townhome so not sure what rules are if it is a problem outside whatever that means...help!
If you have access to your water meter then take a look at it. Most all meters have a leak detection indicator on them. It will usually be either a little triangle, look like a sprocket, or it might be a circular indicator sectioned off in black and silver (or white) pie shaped colors. If you Google search "Water Meter" in the "images" search you will see many examples.
Make sure that you have no dripping faucets (inside or out), no running toilets, and you have not just used any hot water (water heater could be filling up). That dial is sensitive enough to detect a single pin prick leak in any pipes or fixture components. If it is moving, and no other water conditions above are occurring, then possibly you have a leak somewhere.
You say that your home was built in 2004 so here is something to think of. Newer toilets are using the 1 gallon power flush units mounted inside the toilet tank. If one of those has a pin hole or split in it then they can leak out with you really knowing about it. Yes, they can cause that much water loss! One way to check this if you do have these bladders is check the meter. If the leak dial is moving then go back in and shut off the valves for each of the toilets. Then go back out and check the leak dial again. If it has stopped you have your culprit.
By the way you can also shut other valves off and check the leak indicator if you think there is a leak beyond the valve somewhere. If you have a house side main valve, after the water meter, and nothing inside appears leaking you can shut it off as well to isolate a potential leak from the water meter to the homes main valve.
Thank you so much...going to check that water meter...one interesting thing...since my last meter reading which was on 9/13 acrroding to the meter reading now, I have only used 1000 gallons which is back to normal. Another question though, my water meter is in my garage...how do they read it, is it electronic somehow?
Thank you so much...going to check that water meter...one interesting thing...since my last meter reading which was on 9/13 acrroding to the meter reading now, I have only used 1000 gallons which is back to normal. Another question though, my water meter is in my garage...how do they read it, is it electronic somehow?
If the water company does not have access to your meter then most likely it is read either remotely or through a proximity receeiver as they drive around. These type meter reading equipment have been around awhile now.
If you are back to what you are saying is a normal 1000 gallon reading then that is interesting. A 1000 gallon usage each month is not very much usage at all, even for one person. That is unless you do not spend a lot of time in the home. If you are having a 1000 gallon monthly usage then I would expect they are just charging you some type of minimum and then catching it up once a year. How long have you lived there? Have you lived there since new in 2004?
No I average about 2000 per month and its been about 15 days since the last reading and it is at about 1100 gallons so on target for 2000. I have been here since 2007 and they say I averaged 2000 per month for all 3 years.
You say it's a townhouse, any possible way someone stole it from you? Like to fill up a pool? Just something to consider, leaks usually don't go away.
That's what I was going to mention. I live in a trailerpark and we recently had two neighbors in a big dispute because one was using the other's faucet for a lot of water use. If you go to a real hardware store or look online, you can find locking devices to prevent neighbors from steeling your water.
Here's one I found on a quick search online. Rittenhouse | Faucet Lock / Water Theft Deterrent
it can be keyed so that if you order multiple locks, one set of keys will open all of them instead of a key for each. Instructions say to put in unlocked position, screw it on tight to faucet, turn to locked position, and when someone tries to remove it, it'll just free spin but won't come off.
To answer a way earlier question: generally, anything on the house side of the meter is the homeowner's responsibilty to fix, anything on the street side is the water authority's. Don't know what your rules are if the meter is inside the house (which is real unusual on new(er) construction).
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