Using Your Water Meter to Check for Leaks    

Undetected leaks can be costly.  Whether inside or outside your home, a leak can waste hundreds of gallons of water a year. Some leaks are easy to see or hear, others are not. However, big or small, any leak cost you money and should be repaired as soon as possible.

Your water meter can tell you how much water you use in a day, week or a month.It can also help you measure the effectiveness of your households water conservation program..  There is a simple test you can perform using your water meter to detect leaks.

First, locate your water meter.  It should be in front of your house, inside a concrete or plastic meter box that is set flush with the ground. Look for your meter behind the sidewalk at a lot line near the street. If your home is on a corner lot, your water meter could be located either on the front or side street. Sometimes, meter boxes are not easily visible due to landscaping and other obstructions.

Then, make sure that you have turned off all your faucets and water-using appliances (such as dish and clothes washers) and be sure no one is using any water inside your house. Once you have found your water meter, lift the cover of the meter dial. Note the position of the sweep-hand, or use a marker on the lens cover.

Reading your water meter is like reading the odometer in your car. Read all the numbers from left to right that appear under the words “cubic feet”. The first digit on the right represents one cubic foot. The second from the right represents 10 cubic feet. The third from the right (usually a different color) represents 100 cubic feet – or one CCF. One revolution of the meter sweep-hand equals one cubic foot, or 7.48 gallons.

Then, wait 20-30 minutes and check the sweep-hand location again. If the sweep-hand has moved, you probably have a leak somewhere in your system. If the small red diamond shaped indicator on the face of the meter is moving, it also means you probably have a leak. Retest to be certain, and then locate the leak by inspecting all the pipes, fixtures and appliances that use water.

If you find that you have a leak there are a number of places you can check.

In the basement

• Hot water tank.The pressure valve release could be stuck. This valve is most often found near the top of the tank, and is usually a large brass fitting threaded to the tank. If it’s not working properly, water will be leaking from it, dripping down the side of the tank and accumulating on the floor. A plumber will be needed to repair it.
  
• Boiler. Listen for the sound of running water. If it’s continuous, and doesn’t stop and start periodically, there could be an underground leak in your boiler system. Call your plumber.
  
• Water softener. A leak could be caused if your water softener is not recycling properly. The cycling process, regulated by a timer, often occurs between 2 am and 4 am .You’re likely to have a leak in this unit if you hear the sound of constantly running water. If so, contact a plumber.
  
• Washing machine. If you see water on the floor near the machine, it is a sign of a possible leak. Call your washing machine repair service.
  
• Humidifier. Water accumulates beneath the unit is a sign of a leak. Caution: if the overflow discharge is piped into a sewer or drainage line, you may not find any visual signs of a leak. Listen for the sound of running water. If it’s continuous, there could be a leak.

On the main floor

• Dishwasher. Water accumulated on the floor near the unit could be a sign of a leak. Call your dishwasher repair service.
  
• Refrigerator ice-making unit. A leak in the ice-making unit will cause excessive accumulations of ice in the freezer, and may also produce small puddles of water under the refrigerator. Call your refrigerator repair service.
  
• Bathtubs and showers. Check the spout and shower head for dripping water. A new washer may be needed.You may be able to do this repair yourself by unscrewing the faucet and replacing the washer with the same size. But before doing this repair, close your home’s main water shut off valve. If necessary, call your plumber to make the repair.
  
• Toilets. Your toilet may have a silent leak. Drop a little food coloring in the tank.Wait about 15 minutes without flushing. If color appears in the bowl you have a leak.  

Outdoors

• Water Faucets. Each faucet should be checked for leaks, which could be the cause of water waste.Make sure faucets are closed when not in use. If you find a leaky faucet, change the washer (after turning off the shut-off valve, of course). During the winter, these valves should be closed to prevent freeze ups. Be sure to open the outside faucet after you have shut the valve so that any water still in the pipes will drain out. These outdoor shut-off valves are usually in you basement. There may be only one shut-off valve for all the outdoor faucets.
  
• Automatic lawn and sprinkling systems. Soft spots on your lawn and around the sprinkler indicate a leak, which is being absorbed into the ground.Contact you plumber.
  
• Swimming pool. The pool system’s shut-off valve, which works automatically, could be malfunctioning, causing a continuous cycle of water being pumped in and then drained out. If the water level stays higher than normal and it overflows when people are using it, call your plumber.
  
• Service connecting line. If you find a soft, wet spot on your lawn or hear the sound of running water outside your house, you may have leak in the service line to your house.Water soaks into the ground, causing the soft spots. Shut off the main shut-off valve. If the sound of running water continues, the outside service line could be leaking. Contact your plumber if you detect wet spots.