Why Is My Water Bill So High

Seeing a sudden jump in your water bill often happens when money goes down the drain. You might notice the cost doubles or triples over a single billing cycle without adding new appliances inside. To stop the bleeding, you must locate where the water is escaping. A stuck toilet flapper wastes thousands of gallons in a month. A concealed underground leak forces your pump to work overtime. We help you find these leaks so you only pay for the water you actually use. Most homeowners can fix these simple issues, but you need GarSan Plumbing Services when the leak is buried under your foundation.

The Toilet Leak

The most common cause for a sudden spike in a water bill is a silent running toilet. You can test this yourself using basic household supplies. Put enough food coloring or a dye tablet into the toilet tank to fill the bowl. Wait about 15 minutes and then inspect the water in the bowl. If the water has changed color or if you see colored water flowing into the bowl, the flapper valve is worn or the fill valve is defective. This is a plumbing repair you can do quickly yourself, and it stops a continuous leak that wastes gallons of water per hour.

The Meter Test

You must rule out a hidden leak in the home before assuming the usage is normal. Turn off all water valves inside the house and outside, including the irrigation system. Locate the water meter, usually found near the street or where the main pipe enters your property. Read the small dial on the meter. Wait for two hours without using any water and check the dial again. If the reading has changed, water is escaping somewhere in your plumbing system. If the meter shows no change, your bill increase is likely due to a leak in the sewer line or irrigation system.

Irrigation and Sprinkler Systems

If you have an underground sprinkler or irrigation system, a broken head or stuck valve is a frequent culprit for high bills. Inspect your yard during the scheduled watering cycle to see if any sprinkler heads are spraying water onto the pavement instead of the grass. Also check the manifold and backflow preventer for visible seepage. If a valve box is open and water is running out constantly, the internal diaphragm may have broken. Digging out a leaky pop-up sprinkler head is a DIY task, but you will need to call a licensed plumber at GarSan Plumbing to fix a more complex sub-slab leak behind a buried valve.

Slab Leaks and Foundation Issues

A slab leak occurs when a pipe underneath your concrete foundation develops a crack or corrodes from the inside. This is a serious issue that can damage your home’s foundation if left unchecked. Signs of a slab leak include a sudden drop in water pressure, warm spots on the floor, or the audible sound of running water when all taps are off. Repiping often shares the same trench as gas lines under the slab. Texas law requires a licensed plumber for this work, with permits pulled where required. Repairing these leaks involves breaking concrete, which is an extensive project requiring professional expertise.

Water Heater Issues

An aging water heater tank can waste significant amounts of water over time. Over the last decade, water heaters have started failing sooner, often causing slow leaks on the floor that go unnoticed until the tank is full. If you have a tank pressurized section of the setup, this waste adds up. Replacement cost depends mainly on the capacity, the type of unit and whether the venting and gas connection need work, and tankless systems generally start higher than tank units. Our current starting prices and typical ranges are published on our pricing page. Gas water heaters require complex venting and pressure regulation that a homeowner cannot legally perform on their own; it needs a licensed plumber.

Frequently asked questions