A water bill that jumps for no obvious reason is one of the most common reasons people call us. Before guessing, do a meter test. It takes a few minutes and tells you whether water is leaking somewhere when nothing should be running.
The meter test
Find your water meter, usually in a box near the street or the property line. Open the lid carefully; ants and wasps like meter boxes. Look for the leak indicator, a small triangle, star or wheel that spins when water flows.
- Turn off everything in the house that uses water.
- Make sure the sprinkler controller is off.
- Watch the leak indicator for a few minutes.
If it moves, water is going somewhere.
House or sprinklers?
Close the irrigation shut-off valve. It is usually near the backflow device by the house, or in a box near the meter.
- Indicator stops: the leak is on the irrigation side.
- Indicator keeps moving: the leak is in the house or on the service line. Check toilets first; a running toilet is the most common household leak.
Leaks that do not show on the meter test
The meter test finds leaks on lines that are always pressurized: the mainline from the backflow device to the valves. Leaks on laterals, the pipes after each valve, only leak while that zone runs. They raise the bill too, but only during watering. Signs:
- Water bubbling up between heads during a zone
- Weak heads past a certain point
- A soggy spot during or after a zone runs
In sandy soil, a lateral leak may drain straight down and never show at the surface. The only clue is a weak zone.
Other irrigation causes of a high bill
- A valve stuck open or weeping, which leaks all day
- A controller program someone added, or a schedule left on summer settings in fall
- A broken head geysering during each cycle
- A rain sensor that no longer works, so the system runs in wet weather
What a repair looks like
We test the meter, check the controller, run each zone, and look for the signs above. Once the leak is located, we dig carefully, repair the pipe or fitting, flush the line, and test before backfilling. The sod goes back on top.
Call us
If the meter test points to the irrigation side, call (346) 627-2444. Tell us what the meter did; that helps us come prepared.
Have a question this did not answer? Call (346) 627-2444 and ask. More articles on the blog.
