Top 5 Reasons for High Water Meter Usage

1. Dripping faucets

2. Leaking flappers in toilet tank

3. Leaking trap seal primers

4. Outside taps dripping

5. Hot water tank relief valve leaking

How to Test for High Water Meter Readings

1. Turn off all faucets

2. Shut off the main valve and wait 5 minutes

3. Turn main valve on and see if the water meter dial moves.

4. If the dial does move, this normally indicates that a leak is present

How to Spot Check an Issue

Dripping Faucets
If you suspect that faucets are dripping when off, simply turn the faucet off and look for any drips.

Leaking Toilets
Flush the toilet when the flapper drops and the toilet will start to fill. Add a few drops of food coloring to the tank water and repeat in each toilet. Go back to the first toilet and  and lift the toilet seat and see if the water color has changed. If so, the flapper may need replacing. Observe the other toilets to see if the water color has changed.

Trap Seal Primer
Look in floor drains to see if there is a small tube entering the side of the pipe. When some taps are running, a small amount of water will flow from the tap into a p-trap (floor drain), when the faucet is turned off the flow should stop. These tube connections are normally hooked up to L-tub faucets or a device called a trap seal primer.

Outside Taps/ Hose Bibb
Many people will leave garden hoses left on which could have a leaking spray nozzle. The leaking/dripping causes water to be wasted and a will lead to a high water bill.

Hot Water Tank Relief Valve
Some hot water tanks have their relief valves piped into a drain, check to see if the pipe is dripping. If so, the relief valve will need to be replaced.

If you suspect that one of your fixtures is wasting water, resulting in a high water bill at the end of the month and you are unsure on how to correct the issue, Call Vanmech Plumbing & Heating to repair/replace and resolve your issue.