Just got my water bill. It says 16500 gallons in 93 days. That is 177
gallons per day. I am beginning to wonder if that is possible. Every
bill seems to show usage somewhat higher than the last one. I am not
standing in the shower for an hour every morning. If there was a leak
out in the yard wouldn't there be a soggy area? Thanks.

On Jan 8, 3:19*pm, Davej wrote:
Just got my water bill. It says 16500 gallons in 93 days. That is 177
gallons per day. I am beginning to wonder if that is possible. Every
bill seems to show usage somewhat higher than the last one. I am not
standing in the shower for an hour every morning. If there was a leak
out in the yard wouldn't there be a soggy area? Thanks.

Not if your ground is porous enough. Pick a time when you don't need
water, like overnight or when everyone is at work. Turn off the ice
maker and anything else you have that might use water. Check the
meter. Check it again at the end of the day or in the morning.

Davej wrote:
Just got my water bill. It says 16500 gallons in 93 days. That is 177
gallons per day. I am beginning to wonder if that is possible. Every
bill seems to show usage somewhat higher than the last one. I am not
standing in the shower for an hour every morning. If there was a leak
out in the yard wouldn't there be a soggy area? Thanks.

You have a leak. Just keep ignoring it, and pay the bill. Wait until you find a
soggy area to do anything. Then pay that bill, and the following ones until the
water pressure is insufficient to take a shower. Then call around and see if you
can find someone to fix it.

Or, fix it before the multi-hundred dollar bills arrive. How many clues do you
need?

Davej wrote:

Just got my water bill. It says 16500 gallons in 93 days. That is 177
gallons per day. I am beginning to wonder if that is possible.

Sure it is possible. Comes out to almost 65000gallons a year.

My family of 4 *averages* that over the last 10years-- but has used
twice that one year when I had a construction project going on. We
don't water lawns very often-- car washes are infrequent and only in
summer. The laundry gets a workout-- and I just finished raising 2
kids. [well-- sort of finished. got some finishing touches to do, but
otherwise their 'done'.

Every
bill seems to show usage somewhat higher than the last one. I am not
standing in the shower for an hour every morning.

How many folks in your house? How long have you been there?

If there was a leak
out in the yard wouldn't there be a soggy area? Thanks.

Where is your meter? Any buried leaks would not show on mine. The
meter is in the basement & I don't have any irrigation lines.

Jim

On Fri, 8 Jan 2010 12:19:11 -0800 (PST), Davej
wrote Re High water usage?:

Just got my water bill. It says 16500 gallons in 93 days. That is 177
gallons per day. I am beginning to wonder if that is possible. Every
bill seems to show usage somewhat higher than the last one. I am not
standing in the shower for an hour every morning. If there was a leak
out in the yard wouldn't there be a soggy area? Thanks.

I seem to recall from research I did years ago that average *in-house*
is about 100 gals/day/pers for washing, flushing, etc.

That's consistent with my own use.

How many people in your household?
--
Work is the curse of the drinking class.

Davej wrote the following:
Just got my water bill. It says 16500 gallons in 93 days. That is 177
gallons per day. I am beginning to wonder if that is possible. Every
bill seems to show usage somewhat higher than the last one. I am not
standing in the shower for an hour every morning. If there was a leak
out in the yard wouldn't there be a soggy area? Thanks.

According to my water softener, I use an average of 122 gallons a day.
There are three of living here. 2 are women.
122 gals x 93 days would be 11345 gals..

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
In the original Orange County. Est. 1683
To email, remove the double zeroes after @

"Van Chocstraw" wrote in message
...
Davej wrote:
Just got my water bill. It says 16500 gallons in 93 days. That is 177
gallons per day. I am beginning to wonder if that is possible. Every
bill seems to show usage somewhat higher than the last one. I am not
standing in the shower for an hour every morning. If there was a leak
out in the yard wouldn't there be a soggy area? Thanks.


When your house falls into a sink hole you will know where the water went.

I respectfully disagree to the posters saying "look for soggy ground and
other "outside the home" ... Perhaps I am missing something here, but the
water meter is read on the side of the house or in colder climates inside
the house , generally basement... The owner of the home will pay based on
what his meter is reading at the end of the month....So based on that a
water main break outside the home wouldn't be read on the meter..... perhaps
the OP could tell us in what location and proximity to the house his meter
is? If the meter is 20 of 30 feet away from the home then yes these
possibilities of him paying for a water break underground to the home is
possible...If his meter is in the home then he is obviously using that
amount of water. Another point is the meter may be old and could be running
out of calibration. Lots of other points to think about besides looking for
wet spots... Just my .02 cents worth... Jim

Davej wrote in news:bd3d4162-b988-43f9-8357-
:

Just got my water bill. It says 16500 gallons in 93 days. That is 177
gallons per day. I am beginning to wonder if that is possible. Every
bill seems to show usage somewhat higher than the last one. I am not
standing in the shower for an hour every morning. If there was a leak
out in the yard wouldn't there be a soggy area? Thanks.


Where is the meter located?
Do you have a shutoff for the main near or within the meter?

For instance, there can be a shutoff right at the meter which may be
curbside and then a type of shutoff within the house.

Jim wrote:
"Van Chocstraw" wrote in message
...
Davej wrote:
Just got my water bill. It says 16500 gallons in 93 days. That is
177 gallons per day. I am beginning to wonder if that is possible.
Every bill seems to show usage somewhat higher than the last one. I
am not standing in the shower for an hour every morning. If there
was a leak out in the yard wouldn't there be a soggy area? Thanks.


When your house falls into a sink hole you will know where the water
went.

I respectfully disagree to the posters saying "look for soggy ground
and other "outside the home" ... Perhaps I am missing something here,
but the water meter is read on the side of the house or in colder
climates inside the house , generally basement... The owner of the
home will pay based on what his meter is reading at the end of the
month....So based on that a water main break outside the home
wouldn't be read on the meter..... perhaps the OP could tell us in
what location and proximity to the house his meter is? If the meter
is 20 of 30 feet away from the home then yes these possibilities of
him paying for a water break underground to the home is possible...If
his meter is in the home then he is obviously using that amount of
water. Another point is the meter may be old and could be running out
of calibration. Lots of other points to think about besides looking
for wet spots... Just my .02 cents worth... Jim

I'm not sure it's worth that much.

All meters are at the property line where I live. Leaks cost you big time.

Turn off everything that uses water or the main water valve in the house. Take a
couple readings a few hours apart. if any water is used, a leak is likely.
Looking for wet spots is kind of pointless.

Jim wrote:
"Van Chocstraw" wrote in message
...
Davej wrote:
Just got my water bill. It says 16500 gallons in 93 days. That is
177 gallons per day. I am beginning to wonder if that is possible.
Every bill seems to show usage somewhat higher than the last one. I
am not standing in the shower for an hour every morning. If there
was a leak out in the yard wouldn't there be a soggy area? Thanks.


When your house falls into a sink hole you will know where the water
went.

I respectfully disagree to the posters saying "look for soggy ground
and other "outside the home" ... Perhaps I am missing something here,
but the water meter is read on the side of the house or in colder
climates inside the house , generally basement... The owner of the
home will pay based on what his meter is reading at the end of the
month....So based on that a water main break outside the home
wouldn't be read on the meter..... perhaps the OP could tell us in
what location and proximity to the house his meter is? If the meter
is 20 of 30 feet away from the home then yes these possibilities of
him paying for a water break underground to the home is possible...If
his meter is in the home then he is obviously using that amount of
water. Another point is the meter may be old and could be running out
of calibration. Lots of other points to think about besides looking
for wet spots... Just my .02 cents worth... Jim

Not always. My water meter is near the curb. It's fifty or more feet before
the line gets to the house.

Bob F wrote:
Jim wrote:
"Van Chocstraw" wrote in message
...
Davej wrote:
Just got my water bill. It says 16500 gallons in 93 days. That is
177 gallons per day. I am beginning to wonder if that is possible.
Every bill seems to show usage somewhat higher than the last one. I
am not standing in the shower for an hour every morning. If there
was a leak out in the yard wouldn't there be a soggy area? Thanks.


When your house falls into a sink hole you will know where the water
went.

I respectfully disagree to the posters saying "look for soggy ground
and other "outside the home" ... Perhaps I am missing something here,
but the water meter is read on the side of the house or in colder
climates inside the house , generally basement... The owner of the
home will pay based on what his meter is reading at the end of the
month....So based on that a water main break outside the home
wouldn't be read on the meter..... perhaps the OP could tell us in
what location and proximity to the house his meter is? If the meter
is 20 of 30 feet away from the home then yes these possibilities of
him paying for a water break underground to the home is possible...If
his meter is in the home then he is obviously using that amount of
water. Another point is the meter may be old and could be running out
of calibration. Lots of other points to think about besides looking
for wet spots... Just my .02 cents worth... Jim

I'm not sure it's worth that much.

All meters are at the property line where I live. Leaks cost you big
time.
Turn off everything that uses water or the main water valve in the
house. Take a couple readings a few hours apart. if any water is
used, a leak is likely. Looking for wet spots is kind of pointless.

I could add - the pipe I replaced last summer was leaking right where it went
through the concrete basement wall. Apparently the concrete is hard on
galvanized pipe.

On Jan 8, 3:19*pm, Davej wrote:
Just got my water bill. It says 16500 gallons in 93 days. That is 177
gallons per day. I am beginning to wonder if that is possible. Every
bill seems to show usage somewhat higher than the last one. I am not
standing in the shower for an hour every morning. If there was a leak
out in the yard wouldn't there be a soggy area? Thanks.

In a two-person household where I also wash a lot of fabric as part of
my business, we use less than 25,000 gallons a year. Don't know how
much less, we always pay the $40 minimum yearly fee. So...I'm guessing
you have a leak.

On Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:54:04 -0500, Jim Elbrecht
wrote:

Davej wrote:

Just got my water bill. It says 16500 gallons in 93 days. That is 177
gallons per day. I am beginning to wonder if that is possible.

Sure it is possible. Comes out to almost 65000gallons a year.

My family of 4 *averages* that over the last 10years-- but has used
twice that one year when I had a construction project going on. We
don't water lawns very often-- car washes are infrequent and only in
summer. The laundry gets a workout-- and I just finished raising 2
kids. [well-- sort of finished. got some finishing touches to do, but
otherwise their 'done'.

Every
bill seems to show usage somewhat higher than the last one. I am not
standing in the shower for an hour every morning.

How many folks in your house? How long have you been there?

If there was a leak
out in the yard wouldn't there be a soggy area? Thanks.

Where is your meter? Any buried leaks would not show on mine. The
meter is in the basement & I don't have any irrigation lines.

Jim


Also check the pressure. If it went up, it could account for extra
water being used.

A toilet with a leaky flap or fill valve can waste a few hundred
gallons a day.

On Fri, 8 Jan 2010 16:45:42 -0600, "HeyBub"
wrote:

Jim wrote:
"Van Chocstraw" wrote in message
...
Davej wrote:
Just got my water bill. It says 16500 gallons in 93 days. That is
177 gallons per day. I am beginning to wonder if that is possible.
Every bill seems to show usage somewhat higher than the last one. I
am not standing in the shower for an hour every morning. If there
was a leak out in the yard wouldn't there be a soggy area? Thanks.


When your house falls into a sink hole you will know where the water
went.

I respectfully disagree to the posters saying "look for soggy ground
and other "outside the home" ... Perhaps I am missing something here,
but the water meter is read on the side of the house or in colder
climates inside the house , generally basement... The owner of the
home will pay based on what his meter is reading at the end of the
month....So based on that a water main break outside the home
wouldn't be read on the meter..... perhaps the OP could tell us in
what location and proximity to the house his meter is? If the meter
is 20 of 30 feet away from the home then yes these possibilities of
him paying for a water break underground to the home is possible...If
his meter is in the home then he is obviously using that amount of
water. Another point is the meter may be old and could be running out
of calibration. Lots of other points to think about besides looking
for wet spots... Just my .02 cents worth... Jim

Not always. My water meter is near the curb. It's fifty or more feet before
the line gets to the house.


This is probably climate dependent -- where it freezes the pipes have
to be at least 4-6 feet below ground (sometimes more), and the meter
is usually located in a basement or above-ground heated space (I
remember a wire going to a remote read point outside the house in
Connecticut).

Here in central CA where it doesn't freeze, our meter is under a cover
next to the street, and the main supply pipe comes out of the ground
and goes into the side of the house. That wouldn't last long in the
Northeast!

Josh

On Jan 8, 4:45*pm, Josh wrote:
On Fri, 8 Jan 2010 16:45:42 -0600, "HeyBub"
wrote:





Jim wrote:
"Van Chocstraw" wrote in message
om...
Davej wrote:
Just got my water bill. It says 16500 gallons in 93 days. That is
177 gallons per day. I am beginning to wonder if that is possible.
Every bill seems to show usage somewhat higher than the last one. I
am not standing in the shower for an hour every morning. If there
was a leak out in the yard wouldn't there be a soggy area? Thanks.

When your house falls into a sink hole you will know where the water
went.

*I respectfully disagree to the posters saying "look for soggy ground
and other "outside the home" ... Perhaps I am missing something here,
but the water meter is read on the side of the house or in colder
climates inside the house , generally basement... The owner of the
home will pay based on what his meter is reading at the end of the
month....So based on that a water main break outside the home
wouldn't be read on the meter..... perhaps the OP could tell us in
what location and proximity to the house his meter is? If the meter
is 20 of 30 feet away from the home then yes these possibilities of
him paying for a water break underground to the home is possible...If
his meter is in the home then he is obviously using that amount of
water. Another point is the meter may be old and could be running out
of calibration. Lots of other points to think about besides looking
for wet spots... Just my .02 cents worth... Jim

Not always. My water meter is near the curb. It's fifty or more feet before
the line gets to the house.

This is probably climate dependent -- where it freezes the pipes have
to be at least 4-6 feet below ground (sometimes more), and the meter
is usually located in a basement or above-ground heated space (I
remember a wire going to a remote read point outside the house in
Connecticut).

Here in central CA where it doesn't freeze, our meter is under a cover
next to the street, and the main supply pipe comes out of the ground
and goes into the side of the house. *That wouldn't last long in the
Northeast!

Josh- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Here in Denver, my meter is outside near the curb. The main water
line is approx. 4 feet deep, but the meter is right below ground
level. They have a vertical input line to the meter and the another
vertical pipe for output from the meter that drops down about 4 feet,
which then runs to the house. I guess they design the meter not to
freeze.

Rob

Is your water meter at the curb, or in the cellar?

One Quick N Simple test for water leak, is to put food
coloring in the toilet tanks. If the food coloring goes into
the bowl (without being flushed) you have a leaky toilet.
Leaky toilets are both common, and use a LOT of water.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"Davej" wrote in message
...
Just got my water bill. It says 16500 gallons in 93 days.
That is 177
gallons per day. I am beginning to wonder if that is
possible. Every
bill seems to show usage somewhat higher than the last one.
I am not
standing in the shower for an hour every morning. If there
was a leak
out in the yard wouldn't there be a soggy area? Thanks.

On Jan 8, 7:14*pm, rlz wrote:
On Jan 8, 4:45*pm, Josh wrote:





On Fri, 8 Jan 2010 16:45:42 -0600, "HeyBub"
wrote:

Jim wrote:
"Van Chocstraw" wrote in message
om...
Davej wrote:
Just got my water bill. It says 16500 gallons in 93 days. That is
177 gallons per day. I am beginning to wonder if that is possible.
Every bill seems to show usage somewhat higher than the last one. I
am not standing in the shower for an hour every morning. If there
was a leak out in the yard wouldn't there be a soggy area? Thanks.

When your house falls into a sink hole you will know where the water
went.

*I respectfully disagree to the posters saying "look for soggy ground
and other "outside the home" ... Perhaps I am missing something here,
but the water meter is read on the side of the house or in colder
climates inside the house , generally basement... The owner of the
home will pay based on what his meter is reading at the end of the
month....So based on that a water main break outside the home
wouldn't be read on the meter..... perhaps the OP could tell us in
what location and proximity to the house his meter is? If the meter
is 20 of 30 feet away from the home then yes these possibilities of
him paying for a water break underground to the home is possible...If
his meter is in the home then he is obviously using that amount of
water. Another point is the meter may be old and could be running out
of calibration. Lots of other points to think about besides looking
for wet spots... Just my .02 cents worth... Jim

Not always. My water meter is near the curb. It's fifty or more feet before
the line gets to the house.

This is probably climate dependent -- where it freezes the pipes have
to be at least 4-6 feet below ground (sometimes more), and the meter
is usually located in a basement or above-ground heated space (I
remember a wire going to a remote read point outside the house in
Connecticut).

Here in central CA where it doesn't freeze, our meter is under a cover
next to the street, and the main supply pipe comes out of the ground
and goes into the side of the house. *That wouldn't last long in the
Northeast!

Josh- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Here in Denver, my meter is outside near the curb. *The main water
line is approx. 4 feet deep, but the meter is right below ground
level. *They have a vertical input line to the meter and the another
vertical pipe for output from the meter that drops down about 4 feet,
which then runs to the house. I guess they design the meter not to
freeze.

Rob- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

My meter has a little spinner on it . You dont have to be using hardly
any water at all to see it move. Turn off everything in the house and
see if it still moves

Jimmie

"Davej" wrote in message
...
Just got my water bill. It says 16500 gallons in 93 days. That is 177
gallons per day. I am beginning to wonder if that is possible. Every
bill seems to show usage somewhat higher than the last one. I am not
standing in the shower for an hour every morning. If there was a leak
out in the yard wouldn't there be a soggy area? Thanks.

Just checked our usage for 35 days. 2450 gallons. No lawn watering at this
time of year. Lots of showers and clothes washing and dish washer use is 3
loads every 2 days. Also use a osmosis filter for drinking and cooking water
and as much goes down the drain as to the quantity that is kept. WW

On Fri, 8 Jan 2010 16:28:35 -0800 (PST), JIMMIE
wrote:

My meter has a little spinner on it . You dont have to be using hardly
any water at all to see it move. Turn off everything in the house and
see if it still moves

Same here. A former neighbor (single person household) had a big jump
in his bill. The street meter dial (red needle) was spinning to beat
the band. The supply line was broken from the street to the house,
because of tree roots.

No obvious water at the surface or wet spots. He had the plumber put
in a new line @ $75.00 per hour.

The tree was really enjoying the water...

"Bob F" wrote in message
...
Bob F wrote:
Jim wrote:
"Van Chocstraw" wrote in message
...
Davej wrote:
Just got my water bill. It says 16500 gallons in 93 days. That is
177 gallons per day. I am beginning to wonder if that is possible.
Every bill seems to show usage somewhat higher than the last one. I
am not standing in the shower for an hour every morning. If there
was a leak out in the yard wouldn't there be a soggy area? Thanks.


When your house falls into a sink hole you will know where the water
went.

I respectfully disagree to the posters saying "look for soggy ground
and other "outside the home" ... Perhaps I am missing something here,
but the water meter is read on the side of the house or in colder
climates inside the house , generally basement... The owner of the
home will pay based on what his meter is reading at the end of the
month....So based on that a water main break outside the home
wouldn't be read on the meter..... perhaps the OP could tell us in
what location and proximity to the house his meter is? If the meter
is 20 of 30 feet away from the home then yes these possibilities of
him paying for a water break underground to the home is possible...If
his meter is in the home then he is obviously using that amount of
water. Another point is the meter may be old and could be running out
of calibration. Lots of other points to think about besides looking
for wet spots... Just my .02 cents worth... Jim

I'm not sure it's worth that much.

All meters are at the property line where I live. Leaks cost you big
time.
Turn off everything that uses water or the main water valve in the
house. Take a couple readings a few hours apart. if any water is
used, a leak is likely. Looking for wet spots is kind of pointless.

I could add - the pipe I replaced last summer was leaking right where it
went through the concrete basement wall. Apparently the concrete is hard
on galvanized pipe.


Hello Bob...again the OP could have provided us with that knowledge as to
the LOCATION of the meter. I am in Canada and we have our water meter
located inside the home .....so 'Where you live" is a large thing that a lot
of posters forget to explain..."Where you live" is not the normalicy for
everyone... I at least took the time to give variable situations as to where
the water meter could be located...not just "where I live"... regards... Jim

On Jan 8, 12:19*pm, Davej wrote:
Just got my water bill. It says 16500 gallons in 93 days. That is 177
gallons per day. I am beginning to wonder if that is possible. Every
bill seems to show usage somewhat higher than the last one. I am not
standing in the shower for an hour every morning. If there was a leak
out in the yard wouldn't there be a soggy area? Thanks.

A few more details might be helpful

number of people in household
landscape watering? year 'round? seasonal?
actual usage history for the last year?

a 93 day billing period?

177 gallons per day is easy to use depending on life style & number of
occupants

Of course all 177 gpd is not "leakage" but even if it was ALL leakage
that's only 1/8 of a gallon per minute,
A leaky toilet flapper / pig nose could easily waste a large fraction
of that amount.

If you have an outside leak, depending on soil & weather
conditions....you might never see the leak or you could get a soggy
spot.

cheers
Bob

On Fri, 8 Jan 2010 12:40:58 -0800, "Bob F"
wrote:

Davej wrote:
Just got my water bill. It says 16500 gallons in 93 days. That is 177
gallons per day. I am beginning to wonder if that is possible. Every
bill seems to show usage somewhat higher than the last one. I am not
standing in the shower for an hour every morning. If there was a leak
out in the yard wouldn't there be a soggy area? Thanks.

You have a leak. Just keep ignoring it, and pay the bill. Wait until you find a
soggy area to do anything. Then pay that bill, and the following ones until the
water pressure is insufficient to take a shower. Then call around and see if you
can find someone to fix it.

Or, fix it before the multi-hundred dollar bills arrive. How many clues do you
need?

99.9%, roughly, of unexplained water use is leaking toilets. drop
some food colouring in the tank when you leave the house and see if
the bowl is coloured when you get back.

Bet that shows you something.

On Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:40:19 -0500, willshak
wrote:

Davej wrote the following:
Just got my water bill. It says 16500 gallons in 93 days. That is 177
gallons per day. I am beginning to wonder if that is possible. Every
bill seems to show usage somewhat higher than the last one. I am not
standing in the shower for an hour every morning. If there was a leak
out in the yard wouldn't there be a soggy area? Thanks.

According to my water softener, I use an average of 122 gallons a day.
There are three of living here. 2 are women.
122 gals x 93 days would be 11345 gals..

Is ALL your water softened?
Around here most toilets use unsoftened water and often the cold water
tap in the kitchen is unsoftened - as well as all outside taps.
Wouls sure make up the difference in a hurry.

On Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:44:29 -0600, Red Green
wrote:

Davej wrote in news:bd3d4162-b988-43f9-8357-
:

Just got my water bill. It says 16500 gallons in 93 days. That is 177
gallons per day. I am beginning to wonder if that is possible. Every
bill seems to show usage somewhat higher than the last one. I am not
standing in the shower for an hour every morning. If there was a leak
out in the yard wouldn't there be a soggy area? Thanks.


Where is the meter located?
Do you have a shutoff for the main near or within the meter?

For instance, there can be a shutoff right at the meter which may be
curbside and then a type of shutoff within the house.
A curbside meter wouldn't last 2 hours here in January - or Feburary,
or most of march , a good part of april, and most of December.

On Fri, 8 Jan 2010 16:45:42 -0600, "HeyBub"
wrote:

Jim wrote:
"Van Chocstraw" wrote in message
...
Davej wrote:
Just got my water bill. It says 16500 gallons in 93 days. That is
177 gallons per day. I am beginning to wonder if that is possible.
Every bill seems to show usage somewhat higher than the last one. I
am not standing in the shower for an hour every morning. If there
was a leak out in the yard wouldn't there be a soggy area? Thanks.


When your house falls into a sink hole you will know where the water
went.

I respectfully disagree to the posters saying "look for soggy ground
and other "outside the home" ... Perhaps I am missing something here,
but the water meter is read on the side of the house or in colder
climates inside the house , generally basement... The owner of the
home will pay based on what his meter is reading at the end of the
month....So based on that a water main break outside the home
wouldn't be read on the meter..... perhaps the OP could tell us in
what location and proximity to the house his meter is? If the meter
is 20 of 30 feet away from the home then yes these possibilities of
him paying for a water break underground to the home is possible...If
his meter is in the home then he is obviously using that amount of
water. Another point is the meter may be old and could be running out
of calibration. Lots of other points to think about besides looking
for wet spots... Just my .02 cents worth... Jim

Not always. My water meter is near the curb. It's fifty or more feet before
the line gets to the house.

Sounds like Texas or Florida or Alabama - or Zambia

wrote in news:jfnfk5t7qbroaq5ql2919cmp2ebbaifv09@
4ax.com:

On Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:44:29 -0600, Red Green
wrote:

Davej wrote in news:bd3d4162-b988-43f9-8357-
:

Just got my water bill. It says 16500 gallons in 93 days. That is 177
gallons per day. I am beginning to wonder if that is possible. Every
bill seems to show usage somewhat higher than the last one. I am not
standing in the shower for an hour every morning. If there was a leak
out in the yard wouldn't there be a soggy area? Thanks.


Where is the meter located?
Do you have a shutoff for the main near or within the meter?

For instance, there can be a shutoff right at the meter which may be
curbside and then a type of shutoff within the house.
A curbside meter wouldn't last 2 hours here in January - or Feburary,
or most of march , a good part of april, and most of December.

I know what you mean from living in VT just shy of the Ca border. Funny
how in March or April when you got a few unusually warm days back to back
suddenly the streets would start exploding.

On Jan 8, 2:19*pm, Davej wrote:
Just got my water bill. It says 16500 gallons in 93 days. That is 177
gallons per day. I am beginning to wonder if that is possible. Every
bill seems to show usage somewhat higher than the last one. I am not
standing in the shower for an hour every morning. If there was a leak
out in the yard wouldn't there be a soggy area? Thanks.

You could use that much, how many gallons does the toilet hold, how
many times do you flush it a day, what is shower gpm, how long is your
shower, what about washing dishes, laundry. Do you have an old style
toilet plunger, they leak when old. Check your meter and see that it
doesnt spin when no water is used and figure what you do use first,
you will be suprised. I have a old sink that puts out 10gpm, and a
shower that does 7-8 gpm and my toilet takes 5 gallons a flush I waste
50 gallons a day 1500 a month just flushing a toilet.

On Fri, 08 Jan 2010 20:38:57 -0500, wrote:


A curbside meter wouldn't last 2 hours here in January - or Feburary,
or most of march , a good part of april, and most of December.


Works fine here. Of course it is down about 2.5 feet below ground.
When you live over 100 feet off the road, it makes more sense to make
the water line yours instead of the utility's.


---
A computer is] like an Old Testament god, with a lot of rules and no mercy. -- Joseph Campbell

wrote:
On Fri, 8 Jan 2010 16:45:42 -0600, "HeyBub"
wrote:

Jim wrote:
"Van Chocstraw" wrote in message
...
Davej wrote:
Just got my water bill. It says 16500 gallons in 93 days. That is
177 gallons per day. I am beginning to wonder if that is possible.
Every bill seems to show usage somewhat higher than the last one.
I am not standing in the shower for an hour every morning. If
there was a leak out in the yard wouldn't there be a soggy area?
Thanks.


When your house falls into a sink hole you will know where the
water went.

I respectfully disagree to the posters saying "look for soggy
ground and other "outside the home" ... Perhaps I am missing
something here, but the water meter is read on the side of the
house or in colder climates inside the house , generally
basement... The owner of the home will pay based on what his meter
is reading at the end of the month....So based on that a water main
break outside the home wouldn't be read on the meter..... perhaps
the OP could tell us in what location and proximity to the house
his meter is? If the meter is 20 of 30 feet away from the home then
yes these possibilities of him paying for a water break underground
to the home is possible...If his meter is in the home then he is
obviously using that amount of water. Another point is the meter
may be old and could be running out of calibration. Lots of other
points to think about besides looking for wet spots... Just my .02
cents worth... Jim

Not always. My water meter is near the curb. It's fifty or more feet
before the line gets to the house.

Sounds like Texas or Florida or Alabama - or Zambia

Or Seattle.

On Fri, 8 Jan 2010 20:14:17 -0800, "Bob F"
wrote:

Not always. My water meter is near the curb. It's fifty or more feet
before the line gets to the house.

Sounds like Texas or Florida or Alabama - or Zambia

Or Seattle.

Especially, Las Vegas!

Davej wrote:
Just got my water bill. It says 16500 gallons in 93 days. That is 177
gallons per day. I am beginning to wonder if that is possible. Every
bill seems to show usage somewhat higher than the last one. I am not
standing in the shower for an hour every morning. If there was a leak
out in the yard wouldn't there be a soggy area? Thanks.

Hi,
Your meter will show a leak however small it may be.
Or meter is broke? Even small leak can be detected with
an equipment(basically super sensitive microphone).

Jim Elbrecht wrote:
wrote:

Just got my water bill. It says 16500 gallons in 93 days. That is 177
gallons per day. I am beginning to wonder if that is possible.

Sure it is possible. Comes out to almost 65000gallons a year.

My family of 4 *averages* that over the last 10years-- but has used
twice that one year when I had a construction project going on. We
don't water lawns very often-- car washes are infrequent and only in
summer. The laundry gets a workout-- and I just finished raising 2
kids. [well-- sort of finished. got some finishing touches to do, but
otherwise their 'done'.

Every
bill seems to show usage somewhat higher than the last one. I am not
standing in the shower for an hour every morning.

How many folks in your house? How long have you been there?

If there was a leak
out in the yard wouldn't there be a soggy area? Thanks.

Where is your meter? Any buried leaks would not show on mine. The
meter is in the basement& I don't have any irrigation lines.

Jim
Hnnn,
Car wash on your drive way? It is illegal where I live.

Oren wrote:
On Fri, 8 Jan 2010 16:28:35 -0800 (PST), JIMMIE
wrote:

My meter has a little spinner on it . You dont have to be using hardly
any water at all to see it move. Turn off everything in the house and
see if it still moves

Same here. A former neighbor (single person household) had a big jump
in his bill. The street meter dial (red needle) was spinning to beat
the band. The supply line was broken from the street to the house,
because of tree roots.

No obvious water at the surface or wet spots. He had the plumber put
in a new line @ $75.00 per hour.

The tree was really enjoying the water...

The tree was thirsty and had a water problem, all water addicts will
lie, cheat and steal to get their water fix. 8-)

TDD

Tony Hwang wrote:

Jim Elbrecht wrote:
-snip-
don't water lawns very often-- car washes are infrequent and only in
summer. The laundry gets a workout-- and I just finished raising 2

-snip-
Hnnn,
Car wash on your drive way? It is illegal where I live.

Where's that? TWIAVBP.

Move to the NE US- we've got plenty of water in most communities.
during drought years there are sometimes restrictions on *when* you
can water your lawn, fill your pool, or wash your car. [they lump
them all under 'outside use'.]

Still see businesses who have programmed their sprinklers to water
every other day, 4-7AM, watering during a downpour.

Jim

wrote the following:
On Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:40:19 -0500, willshak
wrote:


Davej wrote the following:

Just got my water bill. It says 16500 gallons in 93 days. That is 177
gallons per day. I am beginning to wonder if that is possible. Every
bill seems to show usage somewhat higher than the last one. I am not
standing in the shower for an hour every morning. If there was a leak
out in the yard wouldn't there be a soggy area? Thanks.

According to my water softener, I use an average of 122 gallons a day.
There are three of living here. 2 are women.
122 gals x 93 days would be 11345 gals..


Is ALL your water softened?
Around here most toilets use unsoftened water and often the cold water
tap in the kitchen is unsoftened - as well as all outside taps.
Wouls sure make up the difference in a hurry.

Yes, my softener is the next appliance after the pressure tank for the well.
My sillcock line and a filtered line for a kitchen sink drinking water
faucet is tapped in between the pressure tank and the softener though,
so that water would not be metered by the softener.
I realize that some softeners are installed in the cold water inlet of
the water heater, so only the hot water is softened, but mine is where
the Culligan man installed it.

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
In the original Orange County. Est. 1683
To email, remove the double zeroes after @

I'm calling for immediate sap tests, random leaf turgor
pressure tests, and increased enforcement of limits on sale
of intoxicating water to trees. Underground water suppliers
must be punished.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"The Daring Dufas" wrote
in message ...


Same here. A former neighbor (single person household) had
a big jump
in his bill. The street meter dial (red needle) was
spinning to beat
the band. The supply line was broken from the street to
the house,
because of tree roots.

No obvious water at the surface or wet spots. He had the
plumber put
in a new line @ $75.00 per hour.

The tree was really enjoying the water...

The tree was thirsty and had a water problem, all water
addicts will
lie, cheat and steal to get their water fix. 8-)

TDD

wrote in message

Is ALL your water softened?
Around here most toilets use unsoftened water and often the cold water
tap in the kitchen is unsoftened - as well as all outside taps.
Wouls sure make up the difference in a hurry.

Our water is so hard we soften it right at the incoming pipe as close to the
meter as we could get!. If we didn't soften the cold water every pipe and
hose would get clogged tight with deposits in about a year. Our unsoftened
water tastes fantastic, just VERY tough on the fixtures. We run the softened
water through a filtered dispenser we keep in the fridge and that's what we
drink.

"Tony Hwang" wrote in message Car wash on your drive way? It is illegal
where I live.


Why on earth is it illegal to wash your car in your own driveway? I'm glad I
live in the boonies.

Bob F wrote:

Davej wrote:
Just got my water bill. It says 16500 gallons in 93 days. That is 177
gallons per day. I am beginning to wonder if that is possible. Every
bill seems to show usage somewhat higher than the last one. I am not
standing in the shower for an hour every morning. If there was a leak
out in the yard wouldn't there be a soggy area? Thanks.

You have a leak. Just keep ignoring it, and pay the bill. Wait until you find a
soggy area to do anything. Then pay that bill, and the following ones until the
water pressure is insufficient to take a shower. Then call around and see if you
can find someone to fix it.

Or, fix it before the multi-hundred dollar bills arrive. How many clues do you
need?

177 gal / day is certainly possible, and it may even be normal for a
large family. I average about 50-55 gal / day for one person, a bit more
in the summer with lawn watering and car washing.

I once had a 3/4" line blow after my meter and in about a day it dumped
about 20,000 gal. It gave me a nice green strip of lawn and about $60
extra on that bill. Just a couple months ago a 4" main let go between my
house and my neighbors and it created quite a lake before they got that
section isolated.

On Sat, 9 Jan 2010 15:22:16 -0500, "h"
wrote:


wrote in message

Is ALL your water softened?
Around here most toilets use unsoftened water and often the cold water
tap in the kitchen is unsoftened - as well as all outside taps.
Wouls sure make up the difference in a hurry.

Our water is so hard we soften it right at the incoming pipe as close to the
meter as we could get!. If we didn't soften the cold water every pipe and
hose would get clogged tight with deposits in about a year. Our unsoftened
water tastes fantastic, just VERY tough on the fixtures. We run the softened
water through a filtered dispenser we keep in the fridge and that's what we
drink.

Our water used to be some of the hardest in the country untill they
started "artificial recharge" from the Grand River.