There is a leak somwhere....help / advice?!!?

Hi all,

I hope someone can help. I have a leak somewhere on the water supply. I have just got a bill from Severn Trent that is over double what it normally is (on a meter) and I wanted to know why. The helpful (!!!) women at ST told me I may have a leak ... however it appears I do have a leak...but I cannot isolate exactly. Underneath the sink in the kitchen near the stopcock (I have two, is that normal??) there is some water...although not a great deal. I soaked it up and lagged the pipes around the stopcock with tissue to try to isolate the leak. However I seem to find nothing...yet there is still water there. So I have a leak somewhere...but I do not know where...but I know it is costing me money in terms of water use. Also now I have switched off my central heating as summer is almost with us when I first turn on the shower or a hot tap in the house...there is a little period of time before the water comes out. However it does come out full flow and hot.

I have had some recent problems with my Potterton Puma 80 boiler...the fan packed up and the thermocouple was replaced...but this has been fixed now.

So any ideas??

let me see....

ah yes, i can see the problem.

we cant guess where the leak is.....it could anywhere.

Just need to wrap blue tissue (easier to spot wet) around everything until it makes itself known, try the tap connectors. Also prove your leak by taking a meter reading last thing at night and first in the morning when there has been no water demand.

I would presume that if your bill is double then we are talking about a serious quantity of water. Just imagine all the water you use for baths, showers, washing up, washing machine etc in one week and then try to imagine not seeing it if it was under your sink! If you had a small leak in your plumbing system I dont think it would account for double the bill.

Is your meter OK, or are there any swamps developing in your garden

Andy

Well this is exactly my reason for concern!! The water consumption has gone up from 0.2 cubic metres a day to 0.7. And only now I have got the bill do I know something is up (good of those muppets to not query why my water consumption has gone up!) but there is no swamp in the back garden.

The water meter is out the front of the house on the pavement...I tried to take a reading the other day...but firsly the meter is about 1 foot down the hole....and I can't actually make out any numbers due to condensation of the bloody meter!!! So I will try again this weekend with my Dad.

So the facts are I have a leak under the sink....although it appears fairly small...i.e. I have some wetness down there but I can't see / feel / hear any drips. I have massively increased water use and I seem to have low pressure (I think?!?!) in the system as when I first use it in a day it does not flow out straight away...now I do not know what that indicates I was hoping someone on here would!!!

ST did say that if the leak was from the meter or outside the property (what does that mean....anything up to the stopcock is their problem and after is mine, or anything after the meter is my fault?!?!) then they would sort it out...but I would need to do a flow test first...which I am trying to do but their bloody meter is not helping me do this!!! So in theory...if I turn off the water at the stopcock (anyone know why I have two taps under there??) and water has been used overnight then the fault lies with ST...and otherwise there is a leak somewhere else in my house...which without any helpful puddles or damp patches (other than the small amount of water under the sink) I am at a loss ?!?!!

Btw, thanks for your help so far Andy & Ollski....JPC...hmm yeah cheers fella.

If you have a flush or flapper valve WC look in the pan to check its not letting by.

Sometimes you can just see a trickle of water at the back of the pan - this can be bathfulls per day.

I reckon about 50% I find are leaking (mostly rented properties not on meters). Many have major design flaws in the way they operate.

IMHO allowing such valve use was a massive backward step for water conservation - should be compulsory metering whenever they are fitted.

Jeez....so if it is a pipe under the garden.....wft am I supposed to do, dig up the whole garden and replace pipes?!?!?

Water companies take the ****....quite literally it would seem.

Cheltenhamshire said:

Jeez....so if it is a pipe under the garden.....wft am I supposed to do, dig up the whole garden and replace pipes?!?!?

Water companies take the p**s....quite literally it would seem.

Click to expand...

unfortunately yes....well get one moled in anyway, but if you're lucky ST may connect it free, they definitely will if its lead.

Is it possible that if you cant read the meter then they havent read it correctly also?

Normally if you suspect a leak in the water main Severn and Trent will come out and check, they tend to use a stethoscope type instrument on the incoming main in the property and if its leaking they hear flowing or dripping water. with the stop cock off this will indicate incoming mains leak or internal leak depending on which side they listen. Have had them out twice in Notts to do this exact check. If the mains lead they'll put mdpe in for free.

Thanks for the help folks, yes I think it is possible that I am victim to lazyiness on behalf of ST....I mean a leak to the extent they are talking about should be noticeable in the house or garden.

I will update you all when I know more.

Just for the record - and you may find it useful, standard way to check for loss of water:
Fill a tall narrow glass with water
Turn mains off at the pavement.
Hold glass with the end of the kitchen cold tap IN it, with the tap ON.
Using a stand may be easier than trying to hold it.
If the level drops, you have a leak. Try turning things off, if there is anything, to isolate it. If you have say a wc which is constantly running slightly, it won't show if it's ABOVE the level of the tap you're at.

ChrisR said:

Just for the record - and you may find it useful, standard way to check for loss of water:
Fill a tall narrow glass with water
Turn mains off at the pavement.
Hold glass with the end of the kitchen cold tap IN it, with the tap ON.
Using a stand may be easier than trying to hold it.
If the level drops, you have a leak.

Click to expand...

I like the method ChrisR, but it is contrary to the Water Regs (backflow prevention), and if you have the single checkvalve on your supply it may not work as you think. Won't you also get glugs coming back down the cold riser?

Coming back to this system (Puma combi - no tanks assumed) surely you'd see the leak of this magnitude by monitoring your consumption overnight by turning off your internal stopcock and reading the meter.
1. Place a glass/mug of hot water on the top of the meter to clear the condensation. 2. Either stopcock will do, one of them has probably seized, hence you have a second.
You have had some good info re the WC leaking, isolate this item overnight to eliminate/confirm it.

Good ideas from you guys .....I was going to clear the conden. in my meter @ home with a stream of "water" @ body temp...leaving a present for the water co.BUT it could`ve been drawn into the main thru a leak next to the meter