leaks! HELP!!! All aspects of plumbing questions and answers, help, tips and information

[sam6won6]

hi, i have recentley discovered that i have an underground leak some point from the meter to the house. i know it s not internal as it is not visible. but i have recieved a water bill that is treble the usualy amount even though i have been away for 2months. the pipes from meter to the house are all laid in conrete so i dont want to have to dig the whole path up. just wondering if anyone knew of any leak dectection systems or any suggestions? thanks alot help would be greatley apprieciated

[htg engineer]

Treble the amount - some leak.

Not unusual for companies to get things wrong (more unusual for them to get it right) check meter readings do the calcs ? everything adds up - look for a leak, I bet it's a billing error though.

A leak treble what an ordinary household would use is alot of water, there'd be some telltale signs of a leak, spongy ground or grass, new cracks appearing in concrete or paving moving.

Also a leak of that size,
Take a meter reading (before going to work) turn every tap off in the house for one day, come home, take reading again,

Reading the same = no leak,
Reading changed then look for a leak.

[plumbbob]

You do not need a massive leak to end up with a huge water bill. A steady leak 24/7 will soon clock up the usage. I once got called to a house who had just received a £700 half year water bill. Turns out it was a slightly overflowing toilet and they had ignored it.

Without running any water in the house and without shutting off the stoptap, read the meter and wait 10 - 15 mins and see if the reading has altered. If it has, shut the stopcock in the house and repeat the procedure. If the reading alters again, you have an underground leak. If it hasn't moved this time, the leak is internal.

How old is the supply pipe? If it is new, the possibility is the leak is near the meter.

Contact your water supplier and ask their advice. If the leak is underground, they may offer a partial refund. If the leak is found to be on the footpath, it is their responsibility to repair it anyway. They may also be able to locate the leak for you, or at least point you in the right direction.

[htg engineer]

"You do not need a massive leak to end up with a huge water bill. A steady leak 24/7 will soon clock up the usage"

If the bill is as sam6won6 says, and it is treble what they would normally pay.

If this is quarterly, let's say for arguements sake they use 3000 litres of water in 3 months, treble that is 9000 - that's 6000 litres being lost - not a big leak ??

That's why I said I would imagine it could a billing error - because it's a fair size, and I'd imagine there's be some signs of a leak.

For a plumber to say that's not a massive leak - I'd hate to see the leaks you leave on your jobs plumbbob - only kiddin :-)

htg

[htg engineer]

Just found on net -
Average water use is around 352 litres (77 gallons) per household per day.

352 x 7 days = 2464

if left for one week, you would have lost 4928 litres. Alot of water.

htg

[plumbbob]

Hey Htg, they don't call me Captain Nemo for nothing you know! Hee Hee.


Don't forget you not only pay for the escaping water, gut for the extra sewerage charge too.