Very high water bill mystery!

[crowman]

Yes that is the main stoptap and the hot cylinder is upstairs in the airing cupboard. I have a small house with no central heating so the plumbing is limited to the back of the house only in the kitchen and bathroom and cold water tank and hot water tank are also in the back area of the house.

 

[Sharp Point]

Where is your meter actually located and sorry for sounding condescending, but how did you actually check for leaks?

 

[crowman]

The meter is located in the ground across the drive about 25 ft from the house. I followed instructions from water company by checking the meter for any movement while stoptap was on and off. The water company guy also did this and claimed there were no leaks. I then looked in water tank in loft and toilet tank for leaks. I can't see all of my internal pipes but they are all either under upstairs floorboards or running down a wall where a leak of this much would have been visible by now.

 

[Sharp Point]

The meter is located in the ground across the drive about 25 ft from the house. I followed instructions from water company by checking the meter for any movement while stoptap was on and off. The water company guy also did this and claimed there were no leaks. I then looked in water tank in loft and toilet tank for leaks. I can't see all of my internal pipes but they are all either under upstairs floorboards or running down a wall where a leak of this much would have been visible by now.

Again sorry for sounding condescending,but when you tested did you shut off internal stop tap and leave the outside stop tap/ meter open and leave for a few hours, to see if the meter moved?

 

[crowman]

That's fine I welcome your questions to hopefully get to the bottom of this. I had the stoptap off for about 3 hours and there was no movement. When the water company guy came he said if there was a leak he could have seen even the tiniest drip showing on the meter.

 

[sammathias]

You had your internal stoptap off for 3 hours with your external tap on and no water passed the meter?

 

[crowman]

The reading stayed the same so I assumed not.

 

[sammathias]

Sorry what bogrodder is trying to say i believe is...leave outside tap on and turn internal stoptap off. If meter passes water your leak is on the main inbetween the 2 stoptaps. If that passes then try it with both taps on and dont run any water. If the meter passes water your leak is after your internal stoptap.

 

[crowman]

The meter did not appear to change reading on either of those tests when I did them or when water company guy did them. He reported back no leaks to his office so they are claiming I must have used that volume of water which is impossible in the circumstances I have.

 

[sammathias]

I see. What i find puzzling tho is that you said your cold water storage tank partially drained during the time your water was off.