At the meter
Why is my water meter spinning with everything turned off?
A water meter that keeps moving with every fixture closed means water is still leaving the system on your side of the meter, which is the definition of a leak on the property rather than on the utility's line. It is the most conclusive single check available to a homeowner, and it costs nothing.
What it usually is
The meter is the referee
A meter that registers flow with all fixtures closed means water is escaping somewhere on the customer's side of the meter.
Everything past the meter is the property owner's, and everything before it is the provider's. That single line decides who is responsible for what, and the meter is the instrument that reads it.
Most meters carry a low-flow indicator on the face: a small dial, triangle, star or gear that turns at a flow far too small to move the main digits. That is the part to watch, because it responds to the sort of leak that takes months to show up any other way. Newer meters may show a flow-rate reading or a leak symbol on a display instead.
Be honest about it
What it could be instead
Movement is not always a broken pipe:
- A toilet passing water. The most common cause of a moving meter in an otherwise sound house.
- Something you forgot to switch off. An ice maker, a water softener mid-cycle, a pool auto-fill, an evaporative cooler or a drip zone on a timer.
- A hose bib or a hose-end timer, left barely open.
- A water treatment system backwashing, which is scheduled and temporary.
Switch those off before concluding anything, and check the meter again.
Narrowing it down
Reading what the meter is telling you
| What the indicator does | What it means | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| Turns steadily and never stops | A continuous leak on your side | Isolate the house from the irrigation and re-read |
| Turns, pauses, turns again | Something cycling - a toilet, softener or timer | Dye-test the toilets and check every schedule |
| Does not move at all over an hour | No measurable loss on your side | If the bill is still high, ask your provider about the reading |
Ten minutes, on your own
How to run the test properly
Ten minutes, and the result is worth more than any description of the symptoms.
Turn everything off and mean it
Fixtures, ice maker, softener, pool auto-fill and equipment, irrigation controller and any hose-end timer.
Open the meter box carefully
The lid is usually marked for water and often needs a key or a screwdriver. Valley meter boxes attract wildlife, so look before you reach in.
Find the low-flow indicator and watch it for two minutes
Any movement at all is a result. On a digital meter, look for a flow-rate display or a leak symbol instead.
Write the full reading down, then read it again an hour later
Two numbers and the time between them is a measured loss rate rather than an impression. Photograph both.
How urgent is it
How fast it moves decides how fast to act
A low-flow indicator creeping round is a slow loss. It has probably been going for a while, it will not flood anything tonight, and it can wait for a proper appointment.
An indicator spinning steadily, or main digits visibly climbing with everything off, is a different situation. That is enough water to undermine ground and soak structure, and it is worth closing the shut-off and calling rather than watching it for a week.
If you call us
What we do with your meter reading
It is the best starting point a caller can give us, because it converts the whole job from a search into a narrowing exercise. The next step is isolation: closing the irrigation shut-off and re-reading separates the yard from the house, which usually halves the search in one move.
From there whichever side is losing gets pressure tested, listened to acoustically and traced, until the loss has a location rather than a side of the property. See water leak detection and high water bill investigation.
Straight answers
Meter questions
Does a moving water meter always mean a leak?
It means water is moving. If every fixture, appliance, timer and irrigation valve is genuinely off, that movement is a leak on your side of the meter. The usual innocent explanation is a toilet passing water, which is worth eliminating with dye first.
Where is the low-flow indicator on the meter?
On the meter face: a small dial, triangle, star or gear that turns at a flow too small to move the main digits. Some newer meters show a flow-rate figure or a leak symbol on a display instead of a moving dial.
The meter moves. Is the leak the water company's problem?
Movement with everything off points at your side of the meter, which is the property owner's responsibility. If the meter does not move and the bill is still high, that is the conversation to have with your provider.
How do I tell whether it is the house or the irrigation?
Close the irrigation shut-off, usually near the meter or on the wall where the irrigation supply leaves the house, and read the meter again. If the movement stops, the loss is in the yard.
Tell us what the water is doing
Two meter readings an hour apart with everything off, and whether the movement stopped when the irrigation was isolated.
Send us both meter photos
The meter face with everything off, and again an hour later.
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What customers in the Phoenix valley have written. The words are theirs, on listings we cannot edit.
“Humberto has been amazing! Prompt, professional, and patient. He has gone above and beyond, taking the time to show me how to operate the water valves and educating me so I can continue to monitor for future leaks. He identified multiple leaks and made thoughtful recommendations.”
“Beto was very professional, thorough and patient in explaining everything he was doing and why. It was an excellent and well worth it experience, and this is saying something for an architect who had a hundred questions!”
“The owner and operator of this company is everything a contractor should be. On time, honest, competent, reachable, comprehensive. Hope to work with him again in the future.”