A bill that jumps with no change in how you live
A water bill that climbs while your habits stay the same is the most common first sign of a hidden leak. The second most common is the sound of water in the walls when nothing is running. If you have either, you can narrow things down yourself in about ten minutes with the meter test below.
This guide is for self-diagnosis, and it applies as well to homes in Royal Palm Beach and Wellington as it does in Greenacres. It will not pinpoint a leak inside a wall or under a slab, but it will tell you whether water is escaping at all, and roughly which part of the system to suspect. That makes the phone call shorter and the repair visit better targeted.
Six clues worth checking before anything else
None of these proves a leak alone. Two or three together make a strong case.
Meter moves with everything off
The low flow indicator on the meter spins or ticks while every fixture is closed. This is the clearest sign, and it points to a leak after the meter.
Sound of running water in silence
A faint hiss or trickle at night, near a wall or the water heater, often means a pressurized line is leaking.
Warm spot on a floor
A patch of tile that stays warm when no one has run hot water can mean a leaking hot line near the surface.
Musty smell or stained baseboard
Damp drywall and baseboard grow odor before they show color. Press a thumb on the lower wall and feel for softness.
Low pressure at several fixtures
A drop in pressure everywhere, not at one faucet, can point to a leak on the supply side or at the valve where the line enters the house.
Wet or sunken ground outside
A soggy strip of lawn or a sinking patch between the meter and the house, on a dry day, is a classic sign of a buried line leak.
The ten minute meter test, step by step
Stop all water use
Close faucets, pause the dishwasher and washer, and turn off the ice maker and any irrigation. Flush no toilets during the test.
Find and open the meter box
It is usually near the curb or property line. Lift the lid with a screwdriver and keep your hands clear of the opening, since insects like the space.
Read the indicator
Look for the small triangle or dial that turns when even a trickle passes. Write down the numbers and take a photo.
Wait, then compare
Wait ten to fifteen minutes without using water. If the dial moved or the digits changed, water is going somewhere after the meter.
To split the problem in two, close the main shutoff valve at the house and look again. If the meter stops, the leak is inside the house. If it keeps moving, the leak is on the buried line between the meter and the house.
Meter keeps moving with everything off?
That is worth a call. Call us and give us the before and after readings.
When to stop and call a plumber
Some findings are fine to monitor for a day. Others call for a shutoff and a phone call right away.
| What you found | What it suggests | Your next move |
|---|---|---|
| Meter dial moves slowly with everything off. | A slow leak, possibly a toilet flapper or a small pipe leak. | Run the toilet dye test, then call if the dial still moves. |
| Meter stops when the main valve is closed. | Leak inside the house. | Check fixtures, then call for a leak locate. |
| Meter keeps moving with the main valve closed. | Leak on the buried line before the house. | Call, a dig repair is likely. |
| Water on the floor or a ceiling dripping. | Active pipe or fixture leak. | Close the main valve and call now. |
| Warm spot on a floor. | Possible hot line leak under tile or slab. | Call, and keep the water heater on only if advised. |
| Brown or growing ceiling stain. | A leak above, possibly the shower pan or supply line. | Call, and photograph it for your insurer. |
Where hidden leaks tend to hide in a Florida home
Toilets are the usual suspect. A worn flapper lets water trickle into the bowl, and the leak is silent. Drop a little food coloring in the tank, wait fifteen minutes without flushing, and look for color in the bowl.
The next place is anything with a connection that flexes. Braided supply lines under sinks and behind toilets, the washer hoses, and the ice maker line all age and drip into cabinets or wall cavities. Check them with a dry paper towel run along each connection.
Pressurized lines are the third place. A pinhole in a copper line, or a failed fitting inside a wall, can run for weeks. That is the leak that raises the bill and then stains the ceiling. Finding it takes the methods covered under leak detection.
The line from the meter to the house
Between the meter and the house, a buried line can leak without ever showing a stain. The test above separates that from an interior leak. Repair of that run is covered under water service line repair, and it is dug rather than opened from inside.
Greenacres: your utility and high usage questions
The City of Greenacres long-range plan points to Palm Beach County Water Utilities (PBCWUD) for water service. If your bill is on PBCWUD, they are the right office to ask about high usage, meter readings and how your account is billed. We do not know your account, so ask them what the usage history shows and whether the meter was read normally.
We will not give you a dollar threshold for a leaking bill, because bills depend on your household, your season and your rate. Compare your own bills month to month and ask the utility about anything that jumps without a reason.
A note on septic: some Greenacres properties remain on septic until centralized service is available. A soggy patch of yard on a septic property can be a drain field issue rather than a supply leak, so the meter test matters more there. If the meter is still, the water is not coming from your supply line.
Fix it yourself or call it in
Reasonable to try yourself
- Replace a toilet flapper after a dye test.
- Tighten a loose supply line nut by hand and a quarter turn.
- Swap a worn washer hose.
- Close an angle stop to stop a small drip while you wait.
Better left to a plumber
- Any leak behind a wall or ceiling.
- Warm floor spots or suspected slab leaks.
- A meter that moves with the main valve closed.
- Any wet area near electrical outlets or the panel.
When a repair needs a permit
A simple fix, like a flapper, is maintenance. Replacing pipe falls under the Florida Building Code, Plumbing, which Florida builds on the International Plumbing Code (IPC), built on the IPC.
Ask the City of Greenacres building department when you are unsure.
Common questions about hidden leaks
The low flow indicator reacts to very small flows, much smaller than a visible drip. If it moves with everything off, water is leaking after the meter.
Not always. An ice maker or softener cycling can move it. Rerun the test with those off, and call if it still moves.
A silent flapper leak can run all day and is a common cause of high bills. The dye test costs almost nothing and takes about fifteen minutes.
It depends on the policy. Sudden pipe failures and slow leaks are often treated differently. Check your policy, call your insurer, and photograph damage and meter readings.
Turn the irrigation controller off and note whether the pool fill line is closed before testing. Either can move the meter and fool the test.
Yes. The meter reads the supply side only, so it works the same way. A still meter with a wet yard points to a drain or septic issue, not a supply leak.