Water Bills

[The Medway Handyman]

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?

[Phil Anthropist]

Underground leak?

[The Medway Handyman]

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.

[Cicero]

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

Cic.

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[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

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.

[Guy King]

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

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.