Plumbing - mysterious water leak and high bills have left me baffled as to the source of my water leak. ?

Question

I hope someone can help me as I've been battling a leak situation for a couple months now. My water bill has sky rocketed. My normal monthly bill is around 4000 gallons and now it ranges between 17000 and 21000 a month. I've gone around and turned all toilets off, ice makers, etc and still had the meter moving. There are times when I shut the water off to the house and the meter still moves which made me think the leak had to be between the meter and the house, however there are times when the meter doesn't move with the water to the house shut off or left on. I don't see how an outside look could be intermittent, yet I don't see how it could be an indoor leak if it doesn't stop when I shut off the water at the house. I'm baffled as to where 20000 gallons of water could be going. I've even seen it use up to 7000 gallons if 4 days! I've ruled out every thing in my house.

I even had a plumber come out and after checking everything out that I had already done, he said the leak must be in the floors or walls somewhere because the meter wasn't moving at the time he was there after we shut the supply off at the house. However it continues to move sometimes and not others regardless of whether or not the valve to the house is on or off. He also checked the water heater and PSI and all was fine.

Have you ever encountered anything like this? There is no pattern or logic to it as far as I can see. I've completely run out of options and see no wet walls or floors.

Any advice?

Thank you

Answer 1

The very same thing happened to me and I was baffled until one day when I was mowing the yard I noticed a wet spot in the yard and we had not had rain in weeks.I got my shovel and started digging and there it was.A 3/4 inch pvc water line that feeds the water for my house was cracked.I shut the water off at the meter and spent all night repairing it.My water usage went back to normal.

Locate your meter and slowly walk toward your house checking the ground for a wet spot.Could be the very same problem.Good luck.

Answer 2

First make sure you buy bottled water and shut off the main for a few days. You should not use any water during this time - you meter should not move.

Next, you'll make sure every single shutoff valve in your home is shut off. You'll open the main for a few hours ( maybe 2) and there should be no water movement and no meter activity either.

Next, you'll open the first shut off after passing into the home after the main. No devices are on only the two shutoffs are open so there should still be no movement.

You will work it this way and allow time for each to register movement.

Once you find movement you'll be able to narrow down the leak.

On the other hand, if you do not find a leak then you must be using that much.

Also, you are billed only for water entering into your home passing through the water meter - this measures the volume of water passing through over time. This is how they know how much water you have used. If a leak exist outside ( in the street ) then you would not be billed for it otherwise how would they know how much water was used up out there and how do they know to bill it to you and not your neighbor...

If your leak truly is intermitten as you stated, this implies a device is functioning properly and malfunctioning at other times. this device uses water or controls water in some fashion.

I am thinking of a slow leak in your toilet..not a full flush but a trickle leaking throughout the day & night adding up to many gallons over a three month period

If the leak where in ground then eventually the surrounding ground would show signs of this..even above ground.

If it were in a wall or floor then gravity will effect the water the very moment it leaves the pipe. It won't take long until signs of this leak's existance would be seen too.

So this is why I am inclined to think it is not in a wall / floor / ceiling and is not in the ground. It is a malfunctioning device like toilet, washer, dishwasher ... something that has control over water...Is the water heater leaking down in the basement ?? If it is electric then look to see if an increase in elec coincides with a rise in water usage... that implies a slow leaking water heater or device that controls hot water...hope this gives you some ideas....

Do not forget theough, there is an obvious that has to be considered at some point. In other words, once you have exhausted every possibility then that which remains . no matter how unlikely or undesired it may be ... has to be the correct answer.

In this case, once all the answers were ruled out there is only one left that explains the increase in usage....you really are using that amount.

Answer 3

It sounds like the T/P valve on top of the water heater is leaking only when the heater gets up to temp? This would explain why it moves and sometimes not.

Answer 4

what is coming from your meter?polybutaline blue 1 inch line that is were your leak is do you have a real green spot in your lawn it will leak like that replace it all  

Answer 5

now maybe it is time to look at the not so obvious. is it possible that some other house is hooked i  to your system after the water meter i would have that meter moved to the closest  point where you first take on water. you are using enough water for two house holds. the saving would more then pay for the moving of the meter.

Answer 6

resent  every thing I thought it could be and yahoo said it couldn't deliver. ask me direct... [e-mail]

Answer 7

Could it be the meter itself ?Call the utility and demand it be checked they break too! Any digging near or on your property like cable,fences or trees. Someone could have damaged the pipes leading into your house.That happened to a friend of mine.Usually toilets cause great loss of water.yes hundreds of gallons can be wasted in one toliet.Keep the water on and check the internal parts,take the lid off and flush the toilet and see how long it takes to fill and if any is leaking from the seal it may need replacing as they wear out after time.That much water loss would have flooded your floors or caused mold on your walls and drywall smells awful when exposed to water.Do you have any outside faucets or hoses.Check and see if there is any wet spots in your yard.Also ask your neighbors.If everyone is getting these large bills then it could be in the billing office too and yes they can make mistakes. Computer and human.Good luck

Answer 8

There are some good answers here.  Just to let you know though, the ground moves constantly.  The dryer the weather, the more the ground heaves and moves.  This could explain the periodic meter movement.  If you check the meter, and you see movement when the valve is turned off to the house, the leak is most definitely in the yard.  Pipes run fairly straight from the meter to the house, so start at the meter, and walk slowly to the valve at the house.  I am sure you will find a damp spot in the yard, then use some good old fashioned muscle power , to dig until you find the pipe.  Good luck!