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View Full Version : Possible Faulty Water Meter


Sheliachildress
Jul 8, 2007, 01:12 PM
My water bill usually runs between $10 and $13 a month. I've noticed an increase over the last couple of months in our water bill, but I didn't think much of it. I thought it could be due to my son playing in the yard with water toys, etc. This month I opened our bill to find it was $300. My eyes about popped out of my head. Someone from the water company came out to check things. He said that the meter stops turning when we turn the valve off going into the house so it must be something on our side. A plumber came out to the house and couldn't find a leak so he said to request a new meter. (Our plumber didn't use anything to detect a leak under the slab, but I just have to think if we were using the amount of water that is says we are using that we would see water somewhere or at least our water pressure would be affected.) I have looked at the meter myself. When you barely turn the valve on going into the house, you can see the meter registering. It's spinning at a pretty fast speed, and even with this we still have great water pressure. I've asked the water company to test our meter, but they're giving me grief about it... saying that a meter never overreads. One guy I spoke to told me, "Even if we do come out there and change your meter, you will still have your problem." I'm at my wits end. We keep the water turned off going into the house until we need to take bathes etc. Please help! Should our water pressure be affected if we have a leak of that magnitude? Would we see water somewhere even if it is an underground leak? Is it possible that it is the meter? Thank you for any assistance you can provide me.

speedball1
Jul 8, 2007, 05:03 PM
Listen to the guy that told you that replacing the meter wouldn't help and fire the plumbers that told you different. You have a internal leak in your house. Just because the plumber you hired couldn't find the leak doesn't mean it isn't there. Are you on a slab? If so the leak could be under the slab and the only way you would know it is by the spinning meter and the monthly bill.
When that happens my company calls a leak detection service called Sleuth. They come out with sensitive listening devices and pinpoint the leak. They then take up the slab, bag the dirt and bare the leak for the plumber to repair.
You have no other options, I'm sorry! Good luck, Tom