Reading a water meter

notbritishgas

I am investigating an abnormally high water usage by my very elderly single MIL, about 95 cu metres a year.

I am carrying out leakage tests and with no water being used in the house the meter does not visibly advance whilst watching for about 5 minutes.

On monday took a reading at 0915, took her shopping and then took another when we returned at 1015. They should be posted below, I think the meter went up by 1 litre, what do you think.




Taken at 0915


taken at 1015

I am confused because the 1/10 litre dial does not seem to correspond with the litre dial, in both cases the litre dial is pointing to a whole litre so I would expect the 1/10 dial to be pointing around about zero.

lamb7994

Hi

I can't read the numbers in the picture.
What are the main numbers - in black centre?

deanos

the bottom dial on right is 10/th of a litre so looks like about 3 or 4 litres has passed through meter from the 1st reading

notbritishgas

lamb7994 wrote: »

Hi

I can't read the numbers in the picture.
What are the main numbers - in black centre?

Thanks for replies, at 0915 readings are 1378 in black, in red 6 and the next one between 7 and 8, the top dial (litres) 5, the bottom dial (10th litre) 4.
At 1015, same readings are,1378, 6, between 7&8, 6, 8.

deanos wrote: »

the bottom dial on right is 10/th of a litre so looks like about 3 or 4 litres has passed through meter from the 1st reading

Doesn't that mean between 3 and 4 tenths of a litre on that dial, the top dial which is the litre dial has moved from 5 to 6?

Cardew

Was the property stopc0ck closed for that hour?

The most likely culprit for a leak in the property is a faulty cistern, with water running silently into the toilet bowl.

The trouble is that it can be OK after a flush and then leak after another flush.

notbritishgas

Cardew wrote: »

Was the property stopc0ck closed for that hour?

The most likely culprit for a leak in the property is a faulty cistern, with water running silently into the toilet bowl.

The trouble is that it can be OK after a flush and then leak after another flush.

No the stopc*ck was not closed for that hour, that will be my next test.
However both the cistern and the cold water tank have external overflows and neither shows any sign of leaks.

If I read it correctly as 1 litre then that alone would not account for the massive consumption, only an extra 8 cu metres per year. I think she would be a below average user so about 40 cu m pa would be more like it, so about a 55 cu m overspend and I think we would notice that as a leak!

I am wondering if somehow next door is connected to her supply, (she lives in a terrace), especially as the overspend is about 1 persons usage.

Am I correct in reading it as 1 litre used, or perhaps 1.4 ?

Cardew

notbritishgas wrote: »

No the stopc*ck was not closed for that hour, that will be my next test.
However both the cistern and the cold water tank have external overflows and neither shows any sign of leaks.

If I read it correctly as 1 litre then that alone would not account for the massive consumption, only an extra 8 cu metres per year. I think she would be a below average user so about 40 cu m pa would be more like it, so about a 55 cu m overspend and I think we would notice that as a leak!

I am wondering if somehow next door is connected to her supply, (she lives in a terrace), especially as the overspend is about 1 persons usage.

Am I correct in reading it as 1 litre used, or perhaps 1.4 ?

It is not just the overflow, the cistern 'mechanism' itself can be faulty(i.e. not seal) and water leak into bowl.

I have not seen the meter type you have, but it presumably is the one on the right of this picture?


The '2' digit is obviously hundreds of litres, the '6' digit is tens of litres, but it is not apparent what the two dials show. Could the top one be litres and the lower one tenths of a litre?

victor2

notbritishgas wrote: »

I am confused because the 1/10 litre dial does not seem to correspond with the litre dial, in both cases the litre dial is pointing to a whole litre so I would expect the 1/10 dial to be pointing around about zero.

Don't assume that the 1/10 dial is permanently linked to the litre dial, it may only advance it during a part of its rotation. Easiest way to check is to run some water and watch how the dials move.

notbritishgas

Cardew wrote: »

It is not just the overflow, the cistern 'mechanism' itself can be faulty(i.e. not seal) and water leak into bowl.

I have not seen the meter type you have, but it presumably is the one on the right of this picture?


The '2' digit is obviously hundreds of litres, the '6' digit is tens of litres, but it is not apparent what the two dials show. Could the top one be litres and the lower one tenths of a litre?

Thanks you two, yes a similar type of meter on the right, ours is a Kent installed in 1998, and your thoughts are correct, on our meter the small round dial is "litres" and the lower larger dial is 1/10 of a litre. Will now turn off the stopc*ck for an hour and see what happens.

victor2 wrote: »

Don't assume that the 1/10 dial is permanently linked to the litre dial, it may only advance it during a part of its rotation. Easiest way to check is to run some water and watch how the dials move.

Ah thanks for that, so I make it in the hour there was 1.4 litres used. But to double check I will get an assistant and run some water while I watch the meter.