Found a hidden leak after 6 months of high water bills

I noticed my water bill creeping up around March... didn't think much of it until last month when it jumped $40. I checked all the usual spots, toilets, faucets, outside spigots. Nothing. Finally I grabbed a cheap moisture meter from the hardware store for like $25. It lit up behind the washing machine wall... turned out a pipe joint was dripping inside the wall cavity. I had to cut a small hole in the drywall to fix it. Cost me maybe $15 in parts and an afternoon of work. Has anyone else had a sneaky leak that took forever to find?

2 comments

2 Comments

harper_gibson21mo ago

Wait six months to fix a leak? That sounds more like you were ignoring the problem than it being "hidden." A $40 jump should have told you something was wrong way earlier, and if you had called a plumber right away you might have saved the extra water waste and stress. Honestly, that moisture meter was probably overkill for a leak you could have found by turning off the main valve and watching the meter spin.

the_derek1mo ago

Totally agree with you. I had a similar situation a few years back where my water bill jumped about 50 bucks for three months straight. I kept telling myself it was just the summer heat or the kids taking longer showers. Turned out there was a tiny crack in the pipe under the driveway that I could have caught way sooner if I'd just shut off the main and checked the meter like you said. I ended up wasting probably a thousand gallons before I finally called a plumber.