Pro Handyman Blog

Imagine the shock when you find your water bill is double what it should be. Do you have a plumbing problem? Maybe. Several factors go into this. Did you drain and fill your pool last month? Are the correct meter readings on your invoice?

You can see that there are several possible explanations, but you need to get an answer as you may have a leak somewhere. Here are the steps I would take.

With no water running in the house (no toilets running, the icemaker is not filling the trays, the sprinklers are off, etc.) pull the cover off of your meter and look to see if the micrometer is moving (the micrometer is the tiny triangular shaped thing that moves if even the slightest amount of water passes the meter). If the micrometer is not moving, you likely had either a bad reading, or you filled the pool. It suggests that you did use the water you were charged for.

If the micrometer is moving, then water is passing through the meter and you are being charged for it. This is a concern. Look at the landscape first and see if there are muddy areas or areas of tall grass. This would suggest a landscape leak. Turn the anti-siphon valve off and go check the meter once again. If the meter has stopped moving, then your leak is somewhere past your anti-siphon valve in the landscape. If your meter is still moving after this, then it is time to worry. You may have a slab leak. Can you hear water running but find no evidence of it? Does the floor feel warm in a particular area? You can turn off the water supply valve at the water heater and recheck the meter again. If the meter has stopped, you likely have a slab leak past the water heater under the slab.