A simple but conclusive test
With nobody in the house and every tap closed, movement on the water meter is near-certain evidence of a leak in the system. The test needs no equipment, takes two minutes, and is the strongest check you can make before calling a plumber.
The small star or red indicator on the meter turns even at very low flow rates. Even if the main dial doesn't move at all, movement on that indicator means there is a leak.
Not one reading — a series of readings
A single reading taken on one visit tells you nothing. What is valuable is a series, read the same way and logged on every visit. If 3 m³ of consumption shows between two visits with nobody in the house, those three cubic metres went somewhere.
That is why our reports give the meter value alongside the previous visit's. The number carries meaning through the difference, not on its own.
Where leaks happen
The sources we meet most often, in order of frequency:
- Cistern mechanism — runs continuously and silently, the most common and least noticed leak
- Tap flexible connection hose — drips inside the cabinet, invisible until the base swells
- Water heater pressure relief valve
- Garden irrigation line — underground, so it leaves no trace on the surface
- The main line under the floor — the most expensive and the hardest to find
The real cost of a leak isn't the bill
A high water bill is annoying, but the real harm is to the fabric. Water running under the floor for weeks saturates the screed, passes to the flat below and eventually affects flooring, plaster and wiring. By the time it is noticed on a bill, the job has usually grown.
The value of reading the meter is catching the leak months before the bill does.