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View Full Version : Water bill increased $43 using garden hose


dellicate
Jun 16, 2011, 10:46 AM
I used the hose to wash down the deck last month and never should have left the valve open. Even though I wasn't using the sprayer, the valve was still open and it was leaking gallons of water. This was my stupidity, and I am payng for it now, but I was really tired and couldn't keep shutting off the valve every minute. It took me several hours to complete the mission, washing the siding and the deck, very big job.

Am I using a really cheap hose and attachments? Was there any way I could have avoided this?

Any plummbers are welcome to advise me if there is a more advanced devise I could be using to prevent the valve from leaking. Washing the car, the same thing happens. Waste of water leaking at the valve.

Thanks!!

ma0641
Jun 16, 2011, 10:52 AM
What exactly was leaking? Spray nozzle, hose bib or the hose fitting? Did you have washers on the hose end? For that much water, it must have been leaking out fairly good. Where was the water coming out?

ballengerb1
Jun 16, 2011, 10:57 AM
Water is your water rate, mine would require a loss of nearly 25,000 gallons of water to get that increase. Hard to picture your spigot could drop this much

dellicate
Jun 16, 2011, 11:06 AM
9000 minimun every 3 months. The valve was open for several hours, it was leaking at the valve . The valve was open all the way from inside of house, are you saying it isn't possible to use that much water in several hours?

dellicate
Jun 16, 2011, 11:08 AM
The valve was leaking and it was fully open from inside of house.

ma0641
Jun 16, 2011, 11:43 AM
I find it hard to see how a "leaking valve" would use that much water in "several hours". You were probably charged for the sewer also. If the valve, hose bib I presume, is leaking, it needs to be tightened to the connector or the packing replaced and the bonnet nut tightened.

dellicate
Jun 16, 2011, 11:47 AM
Okay, we will have to get our plumber to come over and update it. Cheap fittings in our house, for sure the builders did not use the best hardware. Thanks for your time and advise.

afaroo
Jun 16, 2011, 12:29 PM
I agree that a valve leaking or open will cost you more money and like bellengerb1 says it is hard to picture that a leaking spigot could drop this much, what I would suggest to ask your plumber to replace or fix the spigot after it is done do a hidden leak check to your water system it is easy and you will know that there is a leak or not.

To do that check make sure that all faucets are closed in the house and out side house, go to your meter and see if the leak detector, see the image below, if turning there is the indication of the leak, if it is do as follows close the Shut off valve to your house and check the indicator if it still moves the leak is from the meter to your shut off valve if not the leak is inside your house, Good luck.

John

ballengerb1
Jun 16, 2011, 01:15 PM
Yes, I think your spigot running wide open would not use that much water.

Milo Dolezal
Jun 16, 2011, 04:09 PM
My DWP charges me 2 ways: for water entering my property and for the same water existing my property via sewer. They automatically assume all used water is flushed down to the sewer system not taking in consideration the fact that I am using water for irrigation purposes, too.