Your water meter can be a useful tool for determining whether you have a water leak in your home. Whether your water bills have been unusually high, you have notices a wet spot in the yard, or you just want to check to be sure that you do not have any hidden water leaks in your home, the meter is a great place to start.
First you will need to locate the water meter. In most homes, the water meter is located in a box in the ground near the street in front of the house. Sometimes the meter is in the yard or it can even be next to the house.
Once you have found the water meter, turn off all of the water using systems in your home such as the ice maker, automatic spa or pool filling devices, and your irrigation system. Next, on the face of the meter, mark the position of the pointer or “sweep hand”. Wait 30 to 40 minutes without using any water in your home and check the meter again. If the sweep hand has moved, then water has been flowing through the meter and there is a leak somewhere in your system.
If your home is equipped with a water shutoff valve, the next step is to turn off the water shut off valve. Repeat the process for checking the meter for movement of the sweep hand. If the hand still moves indicating that water is flowing through the meter, the leak is located somewhere in the water service line between the meter and you home. If the meter does not show any water movement, then the leak is somewhere in your home. It could be a leaky toilet flapper valve, in your irrigation system, or in a water pipe inside your home. Wherever the leak is located, you will need to call a water line plumber to repair the leak.
