I have been fighting a water "leak" for almost 5+ years now. It started about a year after I bought this house (it was new construction, uses PEX pipes, and is a slab foundation). I get calls from my water company telling me they have seen 24 hours of continuous use nearly every month, but NOT every month do I get the phone call. I have had multiple plumbers and leak detection companies come out. Here is a brief history:
In the winter of 2009 I purchase the house and in the spring of 2010 I started getting phone calls that my water meter showed 24 hours of usage. I rushed home and couldn't find any signs of leaking water (and we never have). I checked for leaking toilets, facets, and appliances. I shut them all off and the small dial on the meter kept moving. If I shut off the feed to the water heater, the dial would stop. I called a plumber and leak detection company and they couldn't find anything. Through the process elimination we assumed that it was the only hot water pipe running through foundation to the kitchen sink and dish washer. My wife and I weren't staying here much at the time and saving for a wedding, so we would just shut the water off when were weren't home.
In 2012 my wife and I moved into the house full time and we started after the leak again. We called another plumber out here, he ran the same tests and determined it should be the hot water pipe running through the slab. He and his crew replaced pushed a new pipe through, hooked it up, and nothing changed. At this time the meter would turn, stop, and sometimes go backwards. After some calls from me and the plumber, we got the water company to come out and look at their meter. First they used the excuse that it was because house is on a hill and higher than the water meter, that it "happens". After a few more calls, they finally sent someone out and they replaced a valve/seal in the meter (I wasn't home at the time and they showed my wife the cracked seal/valve). At that point, the meter stopped turning.
I don't remember how long it lasted, but at some point I started getting phone calls about the water running 24 hours again. Multiple calls to the water company and they just told me it was something in the house (even suggesting a leaking toilet, even though the meter would stop if the hot water was turned off). Our water usage never really changed, so we just waited a little to see it it would continue.
Finally we called a leak detection company to do a full gambit of testing. The technician had over 10 years experience and did every test he could. He pressurized the house (with the main valve shut off) and the house held higher than normal pressure for over 10 mins without a twitch on the gauge. He was perplexed and the only thing he suggested that it maybe that the combination of the main pressure and the head pressure from the house could be enough to cause a tiny leak (if you shut off the main valve, the meter stops moving). We theorized trying a check valve or pressure regulator to reduce the pressure at the main valve.
Today I started with the cheaper option (a swing check valve) and it didn't change anything. I picked up a pressure regulator as well, but I'm didn't see any change so I'm thinking our theory isn't going to work. I've posted a video of the meter from today. This was taken with the check valve installed just in front of the main valve. You can see the small valve move and stop.
I am open to just about any thoughts of how I could fix this problem. My wife and I are looking at selling our house in the next month and I don't want to sell it with a "leak" that might scare off potential buyers.
Video of meter taken today: https://youtu.be/uJPpeMgrTmo
In the winter of 2009 I purchase the house and in the spring of 2010 I started getting phone calls that my water meter showed 24 hours of usage. I rushed home and couldn't find any signs of leaking water (and we never have). I checked for leaking toilets, facets, and appliances. I shut them all off and the small dial on the meter kept moving. If I shut off the feed to the water heater, the dial would stop. I called a plumber and leak detection company and they couldn't find anything. Through the process elimination we assumed that it was the only hot water pipe running through foundation to the kitchen sink and dish washer. My wife and I weren't staying here much at the time and saving for a wedding, so we would just shut the water off when were weren't home.
In 2012 my wife and I moved into the house full time and we started after the leak again. We called another plumber out here, he ran the same tests and determined it should be the hot water pipe running through the slab. He and his crew replaced pushed a new pipe through, hooked it up, and nothing changed. At this time the meter would turn, stop, and sometimes go backwards. After some calls from me and the plumber, we got the water company to come out and look at their meter. First they used the excuse that it was because house is on a hill and higher than the water meter, that it "happens". After a few more calls, they finally sent someone out and they replaced a valve/seal in the meter (I wasn't home at the time and they showed my wife the cracked seal/valve). At that point, the meter stopped turning.
I don't remember how long it lasted, but at some point I started getting phone calls about the water running 24 hours again. Multiple calls to the water company and they just told me it was something in the house (even suggesting a leaking toilet, even though the meter would stop if the hot water was turned off). Our water usage never really changed, so we just waited a little to see it it would continue.
Finally we called a leak detection company to do a full gambit of testing. The technician had over 10 years experience and did every test he could. He pressurized the house (with the main valve shut off) and the house held higher than normal pressure for over 10 mins without a twitch on the gauge. He was perplexed and the only thing he suggested that it maybe that the combination of the main pressure and the head pressure from the house could be enough to cause a tiny leak (if you shut off the main valve, the meter stops moving). We theorized trying a check valve or pressure regulator to reduce the pressure at the main valve.
Today I started with the cheaper option (a swing check valve) and it didn't change anything. I picked up a pressure regulator as well, but I'm didn't see any change so I'm thinking our theory isn't going to work. I've posted a video of the meter from today. This was taken with the check valve installed just in front of the main valve. You can see the small valve move and stop.
I am open to just about any thoughts of how I could fix this problem. My wife and I are looking at selling our house in the next month and I don't want to sell it with a "leak" that might scare off potential buyers.
Video of meter taken today: https://youtu.be/uJPpeMgrTmo
