Homeowner can't trace 1,000 extra gallons a week after toilet and water meter pass checks

A homeowner searching for the source of an unusually high water bill turned to fellow Redditors after their initial checks offered no explanation.

The unexplained usage amounted to roughly 1,000 extra gallons a week, prompting one commenter to suggest a pressure gauge test that could help uncover a hidden leak.

Here's what to know

A running toilet was the utility's suspected culprit when the homeowner called about the increase. In a post on Reddit's r/Plumbing community, the homeowner explained that their utility bill showed elevated water use over two months, amounting to roughly 4,000 additional gallons per month.

To check for water escaping from a toilet tank into the bowl, the homeowner had used food coloring. Previous experience with a running toilet also left them unconvinced by the utility's explanation.

"Already done. No leaks," the homeowner reported.

They paused all water use for 60 minutes and saw no change on the meter. Filling a five-gallon bucket then produced a reading of exactly five gallons. The sprinkler valve was also off, leaving the homeowner still searching for an explanation.

More background

Water appearing in the yard or a toilet running constantly would have made a loss of that size noticeable, the homeowner reasoned. The homeowner calculated that the unexplained water use amounted to about 133 gallons daily.

The meter was in the basement, the homeowner clarified in response to a question from another Redditor who wondered whether it was in the poster's yard.

While some commenters jokingly suggested installing cameras because a neighbor was using the homeowner's water supply at night, they didn't see that as the root of their issue.

"Not sensing a lot of malicious behavior [in] that direction."

What can be done?

One commenter suggested a pressure gauge test.

"Just put a pressure gauge on a hosebib or your laundry box and shut the water off at your meter," the commenter wrote. "If the pressure drops you have a leak."

There was no confirmed cause or repair outcome, but the homeowner had purchased a gauge and was recording nighttime meter readings.

Water could flow continuously into a mechanical room floor drain if a solenoid valve became stuck open, another commenter explained. They identified a furnace-mounted humidifier as a possible culprit if the home had one.

The homeowner didn't confirm a humidifier problem, instead asking where the water would drain. To check that possibility, the commenter recommended watching the meter after closing the humidifier's supply valve.

Even a small leak can result in a hefty water bill. Routinely comparing your monthly water meter usage is one way to prevent a leak from going unnoticed, but you can waste less water in other ways, too. Consider using your dishwasher instead of washing dishes by hand and buying an eco-friendly washing machine.

Where can I learn more?

Other homeowners have also struggled to make sense of unexpectedly high water bills. These stories cover confusing meter readings, soaring bills, leak shut-off systems, and sprinkler use.

• A Florida homeowner's bill soared before the utility reported 1,400 gallons used in 10 hours.

• After a costly flood, a U.S. homeowner questioned why leak shut-offs aren't standard.

• A first-time homeowner received a 105,000-gallon water bill, then learned about seven sprinkler zones.

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