Water meter leak!! Help 7 November 2007 at 11:05AM in Water bills 36 replies 14.1K views

basilcat7

Hi all,

Fairly new to this- so bear with me. Had a water meter put in at the beginning of last year. 2 of us in the property- 2 bed bungalow, washing machine used about 4 times a week, shower twice a day, no dishwasher etc.

Anyway, bill jumped from £25 to £40 earlier on in the year and have only just got round to checking if I have a leak- yes I have, not substantial but the red dial went round 1 in 1 hour. Called Anglian Water who told me about a 'one off free fix' where- Does exactly as it says on the tin- they fix it- but don't put back anything they need to rip up, whether it be concrete or garden. As they put it in, I would think that it would be their responsibility but because they are my pipes, it falls to me. My kitchen is at the back of the house and meter in the front garden ! Stopcock just inside the front door.

So my question to you is- has anyone had a similar situation? also if I choose for them not to do it I have to get a contractor in which could cost 5 or 6 times as much. Also, my house is for sale- if I leave it will this come up on surveys (as the Water Technician said) or do I have to declare it? Also aware of the fact if I have my front path ripped up I am going to have to put selling it on hold anyway. Do they have equipment that shows where the leak is? and am I covered at all with buildings insurance ??
Any help appreciated- thanks !!

maninthestreet

".... red dial went round 1 in 1 hour" - what volume of water does that equate to?
If you have a leak, it may well not be the meter that is leaking. Do you have any dripping taps that need their washers replaced?

basilcat7

Thanks but no- I did a proper leak test- turned everything off including stop !!!!. Definitely no dripping taps either !

Have been looking back through other posts (mine is quite similar apologies). and have seen that someone had to make repairs - they were told that it was an offence if they didn't. really worrying now about paying to have loads of concrete put back at a big cost! Please could anyone tell me IF it is covered on insurance- what would it say as I don't want to ring them and ask.... thanks

maninthestreet

You still havent told us what volume of water is leaking - is the red dial that "went round 1 in 1 hour" marked with x0.001 or x0.0001, or maybe something else? If it's marked with x0.0001, then you are 'leaking' only 100ML per hour (less than a third of a can of coke) - this equates to less than a cubic meter per year, and is not worth worrying about.

basilcat7

well I don't know what it's marked as, will have to check. But my point is- if there is a leak- and Anglian Water have agreed there is a leak- will they make me have it done?

maninthestreet

Telling Anglian Water about this wasnt a good idea, particularly as you are trying to sell your house. If you get asked about water leaks by the buyer, you have to reply honestly, but you don't have to volunteer this information if you are not asked.

deanos

If there is a leak then yes legally they can make you fix it.

You do get the free one off repair, so i would let AW fix it for you as it will cost you nothing and you can then claim a leakage allowance for the lost water, you may have to reinstate the footpaths etc but you cant let the water leak and leave it.

Check you insurance documents and ring them up as you may be covered under your house insurance.

basilcat7

Believe me I wish I hadn't told Anglian Water too but i didn't realise the implications.
Thanks for all advice, I live and learn and will try my insurance company

maninthestreet

You're going to have great difficulty finding a leak as small as it seems to be. Assuming 100ml / hour is being lost, that equates to less than 0.028ml / sec. It would take 3 minutes to leak just 1 teaspoonful.

basilcat7

well hopefully they can't find it and they I won't have to have it fixed !

deanos

Yes you dont say what red dial is spinning, there are 2 dials then the red digits on the Kent/ABB meters AW use externally.