Hi

Mate of mine is getting huge water bills - even during a period when the
property was empty. He rents from a housing association.

There is a combined water meter/stopcock outside. The meter has a black
circle in the centre about 10mm dia with a white pointer on it, a milometer
type counter & two red dials.

The black circle revolves slowly until a tap is turned on, when it spins
like a dervish, so this obviously (?) indicates that water is flowing. If
the house stopcock is closed it stops. House stopcock open, but no taps or
appliances in use it still revolves slowly.

This seems to indicate a leak downstream of the house stopcock. I checked
all the plumbing under bath, basin, sink and couldn't see any trace of a
leak. I checked the water tank, that's OK, the overflow never overflows. I
checked the washing machine & dishwasher plumbing & drains and everything
seems fine.

No bulges in ceilings, no sign of water were it shouldn't be. Tiles in
bathroom & kitchen go right under cupboards/fittings, so a leak would show
itself.

Don't know much about how water meters work, I assume they use a jet to spin
a geared impellor?

Any ideas?


--
Dave
The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk
01634 717930
07850 597257

"The Medway Handyman" wrote:
Hi

Mate of mine is getting huge water bills - even during a period when the
property was empty. He rents from a housing association.

There is a combined water meter/stopcock outside. The meter has a black
circle in the centre about 10mm dia with a white pointer on it, a
milometer type counter & two red dials.

The black circle revolves slowly until a tap is turned on, when it spins
like a dervish, so this obviously (?) indicates that water is flowing. If
the house stopcock is closed it stops. House stopcock open, but no taps
or appliances in use it still revolves slowly.

This seems to indicate a leak downstream of the house stopcock. I checked
all the plumbing under bath, basin, sink and couldn't see any trace of a
leak. I checked the water tank, that's OK, the overflow never overflows.
I checked the washing machine & dishwasher plumbing & drains and
everything seems fine.

No bulges in ceilings, no sign of water were it shouldn't be. Tiles in
bathroom & kitchen go right under cupboards/fittings, so a leak would show
itself.

Don't know much about how water meters work, I assume they use a jet to
spin a geared impellor?

Any ideas?


--
Dave
The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk
01634 717930
07850 597257

Underground leak?

Phil Anthropist wrote:


Underground leak?

That was my first thought. The rising main (in blue plastic) comes in under
the kitchen sink to a stopcock. When that is shut the meter stops revolving
as it should.

When that stopcock is open the meter starts turning albeit slowly, but no
taps are open, no tanks filling, no appliances on and no signs of a leak.


--
Dave
The Baffled Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk
01634 717930
07850 597257

"The Medway Handyman" wrote in message
k...
Hi

Mate of mine is getting huge water bills - even during a period when the
property was empty. He rents from a housing association.

There is a combined water meter/stopcock outside. The meter has a black
circle in the centre about 10mm dia with a white pointer on it, a milometer
type counter & two red dials.

The black circle revolves slowly until a tap is turned on, when it spins
like a dervish, so this obviously (?) indicates that water is flowing. If
the house stopcock is closed it stops. House stopcock open, but no taps or
appliances in use it still revolves slowly.

This seems to indicate a leak downstream of the house stopcock. I checked
all the plumbing under bath, basin, sink and couldn't see any trace of a
leak. I checked the water tank, that's OK, the overflow never overflows. I
checked the washing machine & dishwasher plumbing & drains and everything
seems fine.

No bulges in ceilings, no sign of water were it shouldn't be. Tiles in
bathroom & kitchen go right under cupboards/fittings, so a leak would show
itself.

Don't know much about how water meters work, I assume they use a jet to spin
a geared impellor?

Any ideas?


--
Dave
The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk
01634 717930
07850 597257


====================
There may be an leaky outside tap in the garden - possibly even a 'water
feature'.

Cic.


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The Medway Handyman wrote:
Hi

Mate of mine is getting huge water bills - even during a period when
the property was empty. He rents from a housing association.


Is this recent or been happening since he moved in?
Is it a House/Flat?

If it where a Flat maybe the pipe is sharing :-) just a thought.

--
Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite

The message
from "The Medway Handyman" contains
these words:

Don't know much about how water meters work, I assume they use a jet
to spin
a geared impellor?

There are several types. One's a spiral meshed with another spiral. The
water flowing between then spins on bit. Others are just a thing like a
speedboat propellor in the flow.

My guess would be it's a loo cistern overflowing into the loo where it's
not obvious.

--
Skipweasel
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.