leak under home, but no high water bill?

[mrs.jennifergervais]

So we had a leak detection company come out a week ago, they found nothing, except toilet leak, and that was fixed. They said another possible leak may be present. but they didnt see anything. Well, today plumbers come out dig up the fron of the house, water is pouring and filling up, but they cant find the source of the leak. They said they would contact theor owner to help figure it out. We built the home in 2009. Our water bill is normal. The plumber did find a ton of trash, broken bricks, water bottles, concrete bags under the front of the home. Weird. Apparently thats a common thing. Does anyone have any ideas?

 

[Twowaxhack]

So we had a leak detection company come out a week ago, they found nothing, except toilet leak, and that was fixed. They said another possible leak may be present. but they didnt see anything. Well, today plumbers come out dig up the fron of the house, water is pouring and filling up, but they cant find the source of the leak. They said they would contact theor owner to help figure it out. We built the home in 2009. Our water bill is normal. The plumber did find a ton of trash, broken bricks, water bottles, concrete bags under the front of the home. Weird. Apparently thats a common thing. Does anyone have any ideas?

Check your water meter for movement. It will show a leak if you have one typically. You could also use a pressure gauge.

 

[havasu]

Has it been raining around there? Are you low in a valley, or high from the water table? Do you have rain gutters directing water away from the house? If water is surging adjacent to a pipe but not in another nearby location, I would suspect deeper on that pipe.

 

[mrs.jennifergervais]

Has it been raining around there? Are you low in a valley, or high from the water table? Do you have rain gutters directing water away from the house? If water is surging adjacent to a pipe but not in another nearby location, I would suspect deeper on that pipe.

It hasn’t rained in a week, the water meter is showing a triangle like there’s a leak, The plumber is coming tomorrow to put a regulator on that needed to be put on he said that it was like a crazy high PSI. Water bill is normal. They said they might be able to tell better after that where the leak was coming from. But I’m stumped. We are in AL and people joke about this area being a corner swamp area. We are in Madison County area.

 

[Twowaxhack]

If the triangle is moving on the meter then you have a leak.

Higher water bill will soon follow.

 

[mrs.jennifergervais]

If the triangle is moving on the meter then you have a leak.

Higher water bill will soon follow.

We got a bill today, it’s 18.59 for water. It’s so weird. We’re watching. I’ll keep this thread updated.

 

[Aggie83]

We got a bill today, it’s 18.59 for water. It’s so weird. We’re watching. I’ll keep this thread updated.

Some utilities estimate water and only read meter every few months.

And the trash buried in the yard is a sign of a lazy builder who did not properly gather waste

 

[PlumbingSocal]

Check your water meter for movement. It will show a leak if you have one typically. You could also use a pressure gauge.

Pressure gauge to check for water movement?

 

[PlumbingSocal]

It hasn’t rained in a week, the water meter is showing a triangle like there’s a leak, The plumber is coming tomorrow to put a regulator on that needed to be put on he said that it was like a crazy high PSI. Water bill is normal. They said they might be able to tell better after that where the leak was coming from. But I’m stumped. We are in AL and people joke about this area being a corner swamp area. We are in Madison County area.

If water bill is normal it sounds like it’s just a very slow leak. I usually isolate the water main, irrigation, and house first. Hopefully you have shutoffs for these. Then I check the sewer cleanout to see if there is any water dripping from one of the fixtures into the drain. Check the water heater T&P and turn off all angle stops. I worked at a school where water was back flowing into the city and then back to the customer making the meter move, all they needed was a check valve. If they have electronic lead detection equipment it’s easier to pinpoint when the line is pressurized with air (if the leak is underground). Good luck!

Edit: some neighborhoods I work in have a “shared” water bill where it’s split between many residents so a leak isn’t noticeable though the bill.

 

[Twowaxhack]

Pressure gauge to check for water movement?

Of course not. A pressure gauge to watch after you turn the water off to determine if you have a leak. If you have a leak the pressure will drop to zero with the supply water shut off.

 

[PlumbingSocal]

I do that for gas but it never crossed my mind to try it with water! Good reminders..