The same guy from the city witnessed the meter run the first time and not run the second time . He said the leak didnt fix itself but couldnt explain why it is happening. I just dont want to deal with a sporatic meter in the future
Anyone familiar with water meters ? UPDATE
- Thread starter mbaird
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The same guy from the city witnessed the meter run the first time and not run the second time . He said the leak didnt fix itself but couldnt explain why it is happening. I just dont want to deal with a sporatic meter in the future
There should be no reason why they couldn't swap the meter out. In out city, the mayor would be getting a call and if no action there, the citizen would speak during oral comments at a council meeting. More than one way to skin a cat as they say.
If in fact our old meter was reading WAY slow and our bill should actually be higher I am ok with that . Not happy... but ok . But I cant see it being that far off . Besides the summertime increase was proportionally acurate over the last 7 yrs . And we have been very consistant in our usage over that period .
Cuda416
Well-Known Member
Can't really argue with that, however there could be other reasons. Have you noticed any increase in pressure? maybe the old meter was too small, had blockage etc.
Still, you could ask for another meter based on your findings or at least a calibration test.
What you could do is ask a few neighbors what they typically use or get billed as well. If they will tell you, you can compare yours against theirs.
I agree also that it's hard to fathom a slow meter that is consistent, but it could mean the other one wasn't up to spec in some other way.
I told my wife to ask our neighbors what theirs runs. They are similar in demographics .
Mike, I'm in water treatment and have experience/licensed in distribution but still LOTS to learn. I drew a pic. There SHOULD be 3 valves and 2 water lines in play here.
The MAIN typically runs down your street. Your SERVICE line is fed from the main. There should be a valve(Corp stop) between main and service line. Then at the property line there should be another valve(Curb stop) then from curb stop to meter(inside or outside) your house.
Once the service line enters the house there will be a shutoff for the house.
City SHOULD come and shutoff the curb stop. Meter should NOT move. In any case with any one of the 3 valves closed that meter should NOT move.
Hope that makes sense.
Like some have said the older mechanical(impeller) style CANT speed up but can slow down(blockage, sand, mineral build up etc)
Newer ones computer glitches are possible.
My bet is on fibre optic company nicked your service line.
Toilets are VERY prone to leak. What you can do to chk shitter is lay a square of toilet paper on a dry porcelain part of toilet, right where water comes in it when you flush. If its wet after a minute or 2 that MIGHT be the issue.
Good luck, let us know.
The MAIN typically runs down your street. Your SERVICE line is fed from the main. There should be a valve(Corp stop) between main and service line. Then at the property line there should be another valve(Curb stop) then from curb stop to meter(inside or outside) your house.
Once the service line enters the house there will be a shutoff for the house.
City SHOULD come and shutoff the curb stop. Meter should NOT move. In any case with any one of the 3 valves closed that meter should NOT move.
Hope that makes sense.
Like some have said the older mechanical(impeller) style CANT speed up but can slow down(blockage, sand, mineral build up etc)
Newer ones computer glitches are possible.
My bet is on fibre optic company nicked your service line.
Toilets are VERY prone to leak. What you can do to chk shitter is lay a square of toilet paper on a dry porcelain part of toilet, right where water comes in it when you flush. If its wet after a minute or 2 that MIGHT be the issue.
Good luck, let us know.
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I do know that our upstairs toilet leaks a small amount. I can hear the pressurized valve refill the tank evry couple of hours for about 3 seconds. But that does not equate to tripling our waterbill and besides it doesnt explain the meter running when we had our main valve inside the house turned off .
The mystery is the meter running one time and not the next under the same test parameters.
The mystery is the meter running one time and not the next under the same test parameters.
I dont want to chase this around/pay for a year only to find out the new digital meter does in fact have a sporatic glitch . I already spent a day in the cold digging halfway to China in rocky river bottom terrain .
There is an electronic device that plumbers or the city should have that can determine below ground leaks.
You are only responsible from the meter to your house.
You are only responsible from the meter to your house.
Wow, yer a better man than me with that digging! Meter underground? That's new to me. Seems stupid also.
All I have seen are mounted on foundation either outside or inside the house.
At any rate, where is the curb stop/valve located? Its underground well below frost line, 6-8' depth around the property line.
All I have seen are mounted on foundation either outside or inside the house.
At any rate, where is the curb stop/valve located? Its underground well below frost line, 6-8' depth around the property line.
We are responsible from the curb stop (outside shut off) into and including the house.
Yes they will have a listening device to locate running water. Usually have to sink it into the ground some(like a probe).
Not sure how well it would work in winter.
Not sure how well it would work in winter.
pishta
I know I'm right....
Our service off the main goes through a 3/4 meter right off the curb, then a galvanized pipe to our hose bib/entrance point on side of house then to the side where an old water softener used to be. Thats where the house shutoff is. Handy when your replacing faucet o-rings. We can hear the water running when our hose is running and when we heard it running once with no faucets open we knew we had a leak somewhere. We found a rotted point where the hose bib was 18" below the dirt line. Dug it up, lots of mud. Cut back and threaded the good side and ran PEX up to the hose bib. 6 years so far so good. Our leak happened right after the city cracked the fire hydrant in front of our house. Plumber buddy told me they probably shut it off too quickly and that caused a hydroshock wave to take out any compromised pipe around it. Sounds about right.
Galvanized??^^^
Mike, request a meter swap asap, should be done NC. If not, like mentioned contact a City Councillor, and go up the food chain till it's fixed.
There is no leak between the meter and the house unless it fixed itself between the first meter check when it was indicating .5 gals per min and the 2nd reading when it was not moving ...both with the main valve in the house closed .
thats the mystery ?????
Cuda416
Well-Known Member
Could be. Mike, close the valve/shutoff to toilet(s) and see what happens.
I would get a jug and measure 0.5 gpm, that will give you an idea as to the "size" of the leak.
I would get a jug and measure 0.5 gpm, that will give you an idea as to the "size" of the leak.
Steve welder
Well-Known Member
Dealing with these problems makes you pull your hair out, luckily for me I shave my head
How about we switch gears here
My mother in law gets a new gas meter installed as now they are putting high pressure lines in the street which require a reducing regulator
So they do the hook-up and put a new line into the house but leave the old line disconnected and open
The lazzy SOB could not just pull the few feet of the old line through the foundation or at least cut it outside the foundation so I could fill the hole
Now I have water coming through the hole when it rains
So I call the gas company to get the old pipe removed or can I do it........Big big mistake
One cold day moms neighbour who looks out for her calls me and tells me the gas company is outside her house with a crew and a backhoe
I fly over there just as they are getting ready to cut the street
One guy tells me they are shutting off the gas as the house is suppose to be torn down
I have to explain to the guy my 94 year old mother in law is still living in the house and no the house isn't being torn down
All this because I asked about removing a old gas line
How about we switch gears here
My mother in law gets a new gas meter installed as now they are putting high pressure lines in the street which require a reducing regulator
So they do the hook-up and put a new line into the house but leave the old line disconnected and open
The lazzy SOB could not just pull the few feet of the old line through the foundation or at least cut it outside the foundation so I could fill the hole
Now I have water coming through the hole when it rains
So I call the gas company to get the old pipe removed or can I do it........Big big mistake
One cold day moms neighbour who looks out for her calls me and tells me the gas company is outside her house with a crew and a backhoe
I fly over there just as they are getting ready to cut the street
One guy tells me they are shutting off the gas as the house is suppose to be torn down
I have to explain to the guy my 94 year old mother in law is still living in the house and no the house isn't being torn down
All this because I asked about removing a old gas line
Inertia
Well-Known Member
Put a stethoscope needle where you have access, you will hear a leak .
The City water guys use what is called a "key" to open close your curbstop/valve.
They can put their listening device on the key and hear a leak.
They can put their listening device on the key and hear a leak.
They have done that .
Again ... 1 visit the meter was running at a rate of .5 gals/min
2nd visit by 1 plumber and 2 city guys shows no leak . ( 3 days later )
But my Dec bill was 3x normal and the Jan bill is 2x normal .
Neighbor says her bill is around $80 winter $105 July August . Ours was 175 in Jan and 225 in Dec . Waiting for the city to call me back now .
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
Could also be possible that the city cracked your piping when they changed the meter, but I would not think that would "come and go."
The street valves do not always shut off "absolute" but you should be able to monitor your in-house shutoff to see if/ that it does
The street valves do not always shut off "absolute" but you should be able to monitor your in-house shutoff to see if/ that it does
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