19000 for a leaky toilet even possible?


  #1  
Old 11-15-11, 10:14 AM
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19000 for a leaky toilet even possible?

assuming she's screwed but i figured id ask her..my friend normally uses under 3000 a month, last month was charged $400 for 19000 gallons...today the water guy came out and said something with toilet is amiss( said after he turned off water at the tank it still ran which i dont understand because it should just empty shoudlnt it?) ...also said when he shut off at the meter that the dial kept turnign and he could hear water running.....so she's calling her friend to fix it. water company said they will put her on pymt plan and thats all they can do. so techincally she did 'use' the water and sewer but still, it sucks

i said she's probably out of luck unless PUC would do something but i seriously doubt it..she lost her job so this hurts a lot, but how many people look at their water meters lol..but now i'm tempted to start looking

one very strange thing is she told me in the week since the meter was read she said she only used 440 gallons. i said thats impossible, with that bad a leak it shoudl be 4000 for the week.

i cant wait to hear what the plumber thinks of this...plus how can he fix anything if shutting off the main doesnt shut off the water? something just doesnt add up

also she tried tea in the tank and it never went to the bowl. do leaks just fix themselves?
 
  #2  
Old 11-15-11, 11:07 AM
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A plumber will probgably come along with a better answer but I think I would be looking for something other than the toilet. That's over 20 gallons an hour assuming that the excess was 16,000 gal. I think a toilet flapper would have to be almost wide open for that kind of flow and your friend would have heard it.

My guess is that there could be a leak in the supply line from the street.
 
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Old 11-22-11, 06:07 AM
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well she paid a plumber 182 to replace the parts in the toilet and according to her daily reads the water is 'normal' again. but she still had a few thousand gallons in NOV before this was fixed. i still dont believe it was the toilet but unless she's not telling me something, i guess the december bill or Jan, will stabilize

the water company is sending her out some kind of form, presumably to nix some of the costs..unsure. if i ever find out will post, i dont see her that often
 
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Old 11-22-11, 06:52 AM
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We've had tenants get large water bills because they used bleach tablets in the tank which in turn ruined the flapper allowing water to leak from the tank to the bowl. Thus, there could easily be a toilet involved.

That said, if the meter was still spinning with the water shut off at the meter, the toilet cannot be the lone culprit.
 

Last edited by stickshift; 11-22-11 at 11:02 AM. Reason: typo
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Old 11-22-11, 10:30 AM
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i agree but she iddnt have the guy look at the meter so nothing can be done now but wait..
 
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Old 12-16-11, 06:35 AM
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now i know she was ripped off..kids built an ice rink:

The Chicago Tribune reports they used an estimated 26,000 gallons. That's a lot, but in the end the expected bill for the water will be close to $130 dollars. The good news is that they will be able to keep the backyard rink because it was built on private property, and therefore it doesn't need a special building permit.

The four friends plan to split the expected fine and water fee.

yet my friend paid 400 for just 19000..thats unfair, told her to get a ruling
 
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Old 12-16-11, 06:52 AM
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If the meter spins after the main valve is shut off then, the valve dont hold and there is still a leak in the home.

Also with all water off in the home the meter should not spin. If you turn off the toilet valves, and are sure they hold, and all other water is not running, the meter should not spin. If so its possible there is a leak in underground piping that cant be seen.

Is this house on a slab?

Where is the meter in relation to the shut off valve?

Mike NJ
 
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Old 12-16-11, 06:52 AM
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In my town the meter reading is used for both sewer and water, so perhaps that $400 was for both.

Bud
 
  #9  
Old 12-16-11, 10:12 AM
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Originally Posted by lawrosa
If the meter spins after the main valve is shut off then, the valve dont hold and there is still a leak in the home.

Also with all water off in the home the meter should not spin. If you turn off the toilet valves, and are sure they hold, and all other water is not running, the meter should not spin. If so its possible there is a leak in underground piping that cant be seen.

Is this house on a slab?

Where is the meter in relation to the shut off valve?

Mike NJ
the only question i can answer is basement but ill pass along the other questions to her
 
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Old 12-16-11, 10:44 AM
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Originally Posted by Bud9051
In my town the meter reading is used for both sewer and water, so perhaps that $400 was for both.

Bud
yes just found out it was and this month was only 8000

so guess thats proof it was the toilet
 
  #11  
Old 12-16-11, 11:23 AM
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I'd suggest your friend get her hearing checked...lol. Anyone who didn't hear a toilet running for that long just isn't paying attention.

And what you said in the first post is kinda odd. You said she only used 440 that first week after the meter was read...but was the toilet still turned off?

Valves that don't normally get used don't seal well when you try to close them...so I guess thats a possibility.

I try to remember to cycle my valves for toilets and sinks at least once a year to see if they still close. If they don't cut off completely at least I know what to expect if I ever need to change the faucet or do a repair.
 
 

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