Slow water leak

Bettie

my story was almost identical. I am with Bristol Water. They had no problem coming out and digging up the pavement. They said a leak at the meter. Afterwards there was still a leak. They dug up the pavement again and determined there was no longer a leak at the meter so it was between the meter and my stopcock. It was a very small leak. I was issued with a 21 day repair or else letter. I employed a local leak detector company recommended by the waterboard. They used gas and a listening device. They dug a hole in the lawn and repaired the pipe. It cost nearly a thousand pounds. My insurance wouldn't pay as there was no damage to the house. I have trace and access. It wouldn't have covered the repair and I would have had to pay the first three hundred anyway so I didn't bother chasing it.

The waterboard gave me one hundred pounds for getting the leak fixed in the alloted time. Also a leak allowance so my monthly bill has barely changed.

I have taken out homeserve in case similar happens again. It was only £6 for the first year and would have covered that

I was lucky it was in the lawn but the guys repairing said they had other ways of repairing/ laying new lines if it had of been under the concrete floors of my house.

MyRealNameToo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82005621#Comment_82005621

Plastic pipes are harder to listen for leaks than metal pipes so it depends. The next option is to fill the pipe with an inert gas then use a detector to find where the gas level is much higher than it should be. Gases can escape through tarmac etc so tends to be a good way of pinpointing the location.

JohnB47

Thanks again everyone.

Just looked at my Insurance. Like others have mentioned I have 'Trace and Access' cover up to £5000 but I have to pay the first £750.

About that tee joint inboard of the outside tap - I'm certain it can't be that. I can see the whole of the tap fitting (I removed a couple of outer skin bricks to get at it) and I can see the 15mm pipe going through the cavity and in through a hole in the inner skin. Inboard of that is the tee joint and that is sandwiched between the back of a kitchen floor unit and the wall. I can't see that joint or pipework because it's all sealed off but I have removed the kickboard all along that area and it's all bone dry under there. If the tee or any pipework under there had been leaking the floor would be soaking by now. Looking under I can also see the old steel mains pipe coming up over in the corner and it's dry all around that too.

Any leak of that volume would surely have shown up as damp/staining somewhere in the house by now, so it's really looking like it's outside.

Still need to check under the boiler but looks like I'll be calling round experts today. I hate doing this bit without recommendations. I want people who know what they're doing and have the correct equipment. The website South West Water gave me lists companies Facebook pages (I'm not on Facebook) and any reviews I find on there are very old.

Albermarle

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82005533#Comment_82005533

We have a dry warm spell coming up, so that might be a pointer if the area around the meter remains damp. Even tho' you are responsible for your side, I think the WB would be if it's their poor connection to your pipe?

The water company will have fitted the meter, so I think would take responsibility if it was the join to the meter that was the problem, even if it was on the householders side.

OP - Do you know how long ago the meter was fitted?

JohnB47

"OP - Do you know how long ago the meter was fitted?"

We've lived here for over 25 years and it was fitted before we arrived.

WIAWSNB

Worth a try… 😏

JohnB47

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82005857#Comment_82005857

Sorry, what is?

WIAWSNB

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82006087#Comment_82006087

Sorry - not clear.

It was 'worth a try' Albermarle asking when the meter was fitted. If it had been reasonably recently, then you could assume the leak was of their cause/concern.

But 25+ years rules that out a bit 🙂

Bettie

I found mine on the watersafe page as recommended by the waterboard. Had to look for leak detection, not plumber. I would be asking your waterboard if they will come out an check for leaks at the meter. Maybe they will fit a new meter for you, they did for me as mine was too far down the hole to be read easily https://www.watersafe.org.uk/

JohnB47

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82006480#Comment_82006480

Hmmm. That didn't come up in the conversation with South West Water.

Actually I spoke to someone at a water detection company today. I sent them two images of the meter, each an hour apart with the kitchen stop valve turned off and it seems I calculated wrongly. I had worked out 1.4 liters per hour but he said it looks like 12 - 15. So my assumption about the meter dials was wrong.

Have a look at this image. For the dial marked x 0.0001 I had assumed that meant 0.0001 cubic metres (0.1 litres) per whole revolution. But it seems that each numbered step is 0.0001 cubic meters and one whole revolution is therefore 0.001 cubic meters.

I timed that dial when moving between steps 4 and 5. It was 25 seconds. By my assumption that was 1.44 litres per hour but by his (when he looked at both images) it was around 10 times that. I'm sure he's correct.

What do you guys think?

He also said he was reluctant to claim succcess in detecting such a low flow, although he did say they had done in the past. Normally they offer 'no find no fee' for leaks around 30 - 35 litres per minute. So if I pay and they don't find the leak, I'm out of pocket. He's being very honest in forwarning me I guess.

I'm going to ring around some more people tomorrow, after turning the kitchen stop valve off tonight, take a picture, then take another before turning it on again tomorrow morning. That will give a more accurate result.