patp79•1mo ago

Pro tip: That talk with my neighbor about his crazy high water bill changed how I check my house

I was chatting with my neighbor Dave over the fence last month in Calgary, and he was complaining about a $450 water bill he got. I figured he had a leak or something, but he said the city tested his meter and it was fine. He told me he finally paid a plumber $150 to check everything and they found a tiny drip from his outdoor spigot that was running 24/7. I never would have thought to check those outside faucets, but I went home and turned off the water to mine just in case. Now I go around every spring and fall to make sure all my spigots are fully shut off and not dripping. Has anyone else had a hidden leak like that cost them big money?

2 comments

2 Comments

james_butler1mo ago

DUDE that's a NASTY surprise right there. A drip you can barely see turning into hundreds of dollars is straight up robbery. I'm going to check my spigots this weekend for sure.

the_ben1mo ago

I had a neighbor in Phoenix who ignored a tiny drip from his outdoor spigot for months. By the time he realized it, the water had soaked under his foundation and cracked the slab. That repair cost him over three thousand dollars. The drip itself was maybe a cup of water per day, but it found its way through a tiny gap in the concrete. A cheap little washer at the hardware store would have fixed it for fifty cents. Makes me check all my spigots twice a year now, especially before winter hits.