Charlotte Water Bill Spikes

If your water bill has spiked, you will want to determine if you have a leak or if there’s something wrong with your water meter. This short guide will show you how to find a leak. Locating a leak can be tricky, but the following tricks usually work.

1. Test Your Water Meter

You will want to check your meter to learn several things:

• Is there a leak at all?
• How much water are you losing through the leak?

To conduct a water meter test, do not use water in the house for a half hour. That means you need to make sure the ice maker is off in the fridge, the washing machine and dishwasher are not running, the irrigation system is turned off, etc.

• Next you will need to find your water meter, which should be near the street, in a covered box. (For help finding your water meter, click here for step-by-step instructions or click here for a helpful video.)
• Record the numbers on your water meter.
• Wait a half hour.
• Check the meter again. The numbers should be the same. That means you do not have a leak.
• If the numbers have changed, you have a leak. Record the numbers so the plumber has an idea of how much water you are losing through the leak.

Then proceed through the next steps to see if you can locate the leak on your own.

2. Check Your Hot Water Heater for Leaks

Some hot water heater pressure relief valves are plumbed directly into a drain. To check for a leak, do the following:

• Pull out the drain pipe and look to see if you can visually identify a leak
• Listen for a hissing sound. A hissing sound is a sign that you have a leak in the valve.

3. Check Your Toilets for Leaks

• Take off the top of the toilet water tank.
• Listen for a trickling sound, which is indicative of a leak.
• Put a few drops of food coloring into the tank.
• Wait 20 minutes.
• Now check the toilet bowl. Do you see any color? If you do see color in the bowl, the flapper is leaking.

4. Check Your Meter Line for Leaks

Walk the ground between your water meter and your shut-off valve.

Signs of a leak include:

• A muddy depression in the ground
• Super green grass (it’s getting water from that leak underground!)
• A sinkhole or puddle

5. Check Your Hose Bibs for Leaks

• Find your hose bibs (where you screw your hose into the faucet).
• Find a metal screwdriver.
• Touch the end of the screwdriver to the hose bib and put your thumb (knuckle) on the base of the screwdriver. Listen to the sounds traveling through the screwdriver and to the base of the screwdriver (by placing your ear against your thumb knuckle).
• If you hear anything that sounds like running water or hissing, you probably have a leak.

6. Check for Damp Spots Inside Your House

Look through the house for:

• Damp spots around bathtubs, showers and appliances
• Damp spots on ceilings or walls
• Mold growing on ceilings or walls

Check for wet or damp spots under sinks and around tubs, showers, toilets and appliances.

7. Check for Crackling or Peeling of Caulking

Leaks sometimes happen because caulking has peeled or cracked, or enamel has chipped, or the bathtub has an actual hole in it.

8. Check for Dripping or Small Puddles of Water

This might seem obvious, but many people ignore a dripping shower head or faucet that always seems to get a small puddle around it.

Need a Charlotte Leak Fixed?

Do you need a plumber to check for leaks or to fix a leak you’ve found? Whether you need a Matthews plumber or a Harrisburg plumber, we’ve got you covered. We are Charlotte leak detection and repair experts.

Click here to use our online contact form for service or to ask questions, or call us at 704-269-1066.

Testimonials from Satisfied Customers:

Review by Jeff M. on 09/28/15

“Richard rebuilt 2 of the flushing mechanisms in the toilets, replacing the fresh water lines on both. He also rebuilt a kitchen sink faucet in order to stop it from leaking below. All 3 items went well. He did a good job and I would recommend ER to anyone in the area.”

Review by Peter C. on 08/31/15

“Garrett was prompt, courteous, professional and showed a knowledge of his business. He diagnosed the problem (a leaking outside water line) and fixed it in a timely manner. He fixed the problem in the least costly way. He left the premises clean and caused no damage while on property. I would highly recommend him and ER to a friend.”

Read more testimonials here!

Water bill spiked? Learn how to check for a leak.

Article Summary

Quick question & answer: If my water bill spikes, how do I find a leak?

If your water bill spikes and you want to determine if you have a leak, do the following:

• Test water meter
• Check hot water heater for leaks
• Check toilet for leaks
• Check meter line for leaks
• Check hose bibs for leaks
• Check for damp spots inside house
• Check for cracking or peeling of caulking 
• Check for wet areas