"Norminn" wrote in message
...
Dave FL wrote:

Yep, got a leak somewhere. Did the timing thing with the water meter
and found the three largest zones use most of the water.

My Problem: water bill came to $400.00 one month and $500.00 the next
month. Stopped using the sprinklers and dropped to $50 - $60/Mo.
My Guess: underground sprinkler leak
My Question: What is the easiest way to check the lines for a leak?
My Answer (up for review): Take out the sprinkler heads in each zone
and cap off the line, run the sprinkler water and see if meter turns.

Need help to see if this is the best way to check the lines, or will a
divining rod be better?
Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

Dave FL


I helped my hubby with lots of sprinkler repairs around our condo, and since
many were not protected we got a lot of cracked pipes until we got everything
in shape. We always has water washing out to the surface when there was a
leak. A broken head will also flood one spot and should be obvious. Are you
present when the sprinkler runs to check out sprinkler operation and timing?
That would be my first chore, along with making sure the system isn't running
more often than it sould. Those are whopping water bills and shutting off the
system doesn prove much. If your bill is high when you water and low when you
don't, it certaining doesn't seem like a sign of a leak to me ... seems much
more logical the timing is wrong. You could have major leaks but not have any
difference in the amount of water used.

I had a timer once that I would set to run a cycle once a week. Occasionally,
though, it would get it into its head to run the cycle every day. Something like
this could cause huge bills also.

Bob