Your water bill lands like a brick. That number can’t be right. I get it—I’m the neighbor you call when the meter’s spinning while everything’s “off.” After 20+ years under Winston-Salem homes with PF Plumbing, I can tell you water bills don’t spike for no reason. It’s usually a sneaky leak, a pressure problem, or a fixture misbehaving behind your back. Sometimes it’s seasonal irrigation or a softener stuck in a rinse loop. And sometimes—rare, but real—the meter’s wrong. We’ll tackle the high water bill the smart way: quick checks first, then the spots that bite.
How to Identify Leaks That Could Cause High Water Bills?
Let’s start with what you can safely use to sniff out the culprit. Food coloring—blue or red—goes in the toilet tank. Wait 15 minutes. If it shows up in the bowl, that flapper’s leaking, and your water’s sneaking away. No mess, no tools. A hose-bib pressure gauge is another helpful tool; it threads onto an outdoor spigot and indicates if the pressure’s running hot. The pressure should be 40-60 PSI in most homes.
A notepad and your phone camera—snap the water meter before and after a 30-minute “all-off” test. No one flushes. No ice maker. See if the numbers move. A screwdriver as a stethoscope tip works too: press it gently to a pipe and your ear to the handle—you’ll hear that hollow thunk or a faint hiss if water’s moving.
Grab a bucket, towels, and a flashlight for under-sink checks. WaterSense showerheads and faucet aerators are safe upgrades; they cut flow without turning showers into punishment. And no, ice cubes in the tank don’t fix anything—save those for your sweet tea.
How to Fix Common Problems?
Toilets first. They’re the usual suspects. If the food coloring test shows a leak, replace the flapper. Turn off the stop valve, drain the tank, and then install a new one. Adjust the chain so it’s not too tight. If the fill valve keeps dribbling, swap it; they’re inexpensive and save gallons a day.
Check for silent leaks: turn everything off, watch the meter. If the leak indicator spins, isolate zones. Close the toilet stops one by one. Then close the main irrigation valve if you have one. Still spinning? Could be a hidden line. Professional leak detection can pinpoint these tricky spots.
Attach that pressure gauge. Most houses I test run at about 50 PSI. Anything above 80 is asking for trouble. High pressure pushes more water through every fixture, even when you think you’re being careful. If it’s high, your pressure-reducing valve may need an adjustment or replacement.
Irrigation: walk the yard. Soggy mulch, green patches in July, or a head misting instead of spraying. Clean or replace nozzles. Set the controller for early morning, fewer days, and deeper soaks. In addition, a softener that is stuck in regeneration can chew through hundreds of gallons overnight. Look for constant draining at the discharge.
Once in Ardmore, the disposal shot grease onto the ceiling when someone ran hot water full blast—dramatic, but the leak was the flapper.
Cleaning and Maintenance
Regular maintenance is the key to keeping your water bill tame. I always check the aerator first—unscrew, rinse out the grit, and reinstall. Grit makes faucets feel weak, so folks run them longer. Next, lift toilet tank lids twice a year; wipe slime off the overflow, and make sure the water line is just below it. If it’s pouring over, you’re watering your sewer.
Flush your water heater annually. Sediment makes it work harder and slows hot water delivery, so people stand there wasting good water waiting for it to warm. If you hear crackling, it’s overdue. Set washing machines to full loads; newer units sip water, but half loads still add up.
Irrigation maintenance in spring: clean filters, straighten tilted heads, fix broken drip lines. Five minutes here saves thousands of gallons by August. Check your fridge’s ice maker line and the dishwasher supply for crusty fittings or damp cabinets.
And keep an ear out for that hollow thunk after shutting off a faucet—a water hammer can wreck valves and nudge leaks awake. A tiny arrestor or lowering pressure solves it. Regular drain cleaning helps prevent odd blockages.
When Do You Need Professional Help?
If your meter spins with the house valve closed, the leak’s between the meter and the foundation. That’s a dig job. Clay, roots, traffic—best for pros. Warm spots on floors, constant hissing in walls, or a crawlspace that smells like wet dog mean possible slab or hidden line leaks. Thermal imaging, acoustic listening, and tracer gas save drywall, and yeah, they’re not DIY toys.
Water bill high from pressure? That pressure-reducing valve on the main may be worn out. We test, adjust, or swap it. In older homes in the West End with galvanized pipes, corrosion narrows lines and causes weird pressure spikes and leaks you can’t see. We’ve re-piped those streets more than once.
Irrigation manifolds that won’t close, water softeners stuck in regeneration, or a meter that runs even when the irrigation shutoff valve is off can lead to a high water bill. If you’re stumped, we’ll find it fast. For comprehensive plumbing services and water bill solutions, we’ve got you covered.
Unexpected detail: found a squirrel-chewed ice maker line once—looked tiny, used hundreds of gallons.
Frequently Asked Questions About High Water Bills
Could my high water bill indicate a faulty city meter?
Rare, but possible. Do the 30- minute all-off test. If it moves, there’s a real leak.
What PSI should my home be?
Typically around 50. Anything over 80 is rough on fixtures and your wallet.
Do drips really matter?
Yep. One faucet at one drip per second can waste over 2,000 gallons a month.
Why does my water bill spike in summer?
Irrigation, kid showers, filling pools, and softeners regenerating more often. Tighten schedules.
How do I check toilets for water leaks?
Food coloring in the tank. Color in the bowl without flushing means the flapper’s leaking.
When do I call PF Plumbing?
The meter spins with everything off, the water bill is high, or you hear hissing in the walls. We’ll handle it. For more insights on water affordability, Stanford’s research offers a valuable perspective.
