The meter test, step by step
This is the single best free leak check, and it takes about fifteen minutes with the house quiet.
- 1
Turn everything off
Close every faucet, make sure no one flushes a toilet, and stop the dishwasher, washer, ice maker and any irrigation.
- 2
Read the meter
Lift the meter box lid and look at the leak indicator, a small triangle or star dial. If it turns with all water off, water is moving.
- 3
Note the register
Write down the numbers, wait fifteen minutes with nothing running, and read again. Any change means a leak.
- 4
Close the house shutoff
If the dial keeps moving with the house valve shut, the leak is on the line between the meter and house. If it stops, the leak is inside.
Free checks and what they find
Each of these costs nothing but a little time.
| Check | Finds | Does not find |
|---|---|---|
| Meter test | Any ongoing leak | Where the leak is |
| Toilet dye test | Leaking flapper or fill valve | Leaks elsewhere |
| Visual walk-through | Drips, stains, soft floors | Hidden pipes |
| Water bill review | Sudden jumps in use | Small slow leaks |
| Irrigation shutoff test | Sprinkler system leaks | Wall leaks |
The dye test and the other usual suspects
Drop ten drops of food coloring in the toilet tank and do not flush. If color shows in the bowl after twenty minutes, the flapper is leaking. A bad flapper can waste a large volume of water every day without a sound.
After the toilets, check the water heater drain valve, the washing machine hoses, the ice maker line, under every sink and the outdoor hose bibs. Press the floor beside the toilet base and under the dishwasher, and a spongy feel means a slow leak.
Reading a high bill without guessing
Compare this month's usage in gallons with the same month last year, not with last month. Summer lawn watering and filling a pool skew the total, while a steady rise in a cold month points at a leak.
Look for a bill that stays high after you changed nothing. A seasonal spike falls back down, and a leak keeps climbing until it is repaired. Pair the bill with the meter test so you know whether the extra water is passing the meter at night.
Meter still spinning with every fixture off? Call (317) 740-1302 and describe what the test showed.
☎ Call (317) 740-1302What Avon homeowners can ask their utility
The Town of Avon lists Citizens Energy Group (Citizens Water) as the water provider. If your bill jumps, call Citizens, ask for a meter check, and ask whether it offers any review or adjustment for a leak that has been repaired. Programs and rules change, so confirm what applies rather than assume.
Property owners own the service line from the main to the building, which means a leak after the meter is yours to fix. Citizens also publishes a searchable service line inventory, and the answer there helps decide whether a leaking line should be replaced rather than patched. Call 811 before any digging.
Source type: town utilities page and utility water quality and service line pageWhy we do not advertise free leak detection
Locating a hidden leak takes trained people and equipment, such as acoustic listening devices, thermal imaging and a pressure test. That is paid work, and we say so up front. Our approach is a clear price before work starts, so you know what the trace costs before it begins. Never trust a promise of free detection that ends in a repair sales call.
Before you call, write these down
A short note speeds up the diagnosis and makes the visit shorter.
- What the meter did during the fifteen-minute test
- Whether the leak indicator moved with the house valve closed
- Where water stains, damp spots or odor appear
- When your bill went up and by roughly how much
- Whether the water heater, softener or irrigation system is on a separate shutoff
- Photos of the meter and any damp area
When the free checks run out
If the meter moves with the house valve closed, the leak is outdoors or under the slab. Our leak detection plumbers use tools to narrow it to a few feet instead of a trench. If the dial stops when the valve is closed, the leak is inside the house, and the trace follows the pipes room by room.
Slab leaks and buried line leaks often lead to a pipe repair once found. We serve Avon and nearby towns such as Plainfield and Danville. We do not diagnose a leak over the phone, so expect a visit.
Codes, licensing and 811
Plumbing work in Indiana follows the state plumbing code (675 IAC 16), and the Indiana Plumbing Commission licenses plumbing contractors and journeyman plumbers. You can check any plumber through the license lookup at mylicense.in.gov before work starts, and you should call 811 before any digging.
Codes and standards decide what is allowed on a given job, so ask which ones apply to yours.
Water leak questions
Warm spots on the floor, the sound of running water with everything off, a moving meter with the house valve open or closed, and an unexplained bill increase are the classic signs. A trace confirms it.
Homeowners policies typically respond to sudden and accidental damage, and some cover the cost of tearing out to reach a covered leak. They typically exclude wear and gradual leaks. Ask your carrier.
Quite a lot over a month, and the waste shows on the bill. A leaking flapper can run quietly for weeks, which is why the dye test is worth doing twice a year.
Yes, our line at (317) 740-1302 is answered 24/7. While you wait, close the house shutoff, turn off the water heater if the tank is draining, and move belongings away from the wet area.
Citizens can check the meter and confirm whether water is moving through it, but the pipe after the meter is yours. Pinpointing the leak on that pipe is plumber work.
Most meters carry a small triangle, star or wheel that spins when even a trickle passes through. If your meter looks different, ask Citizens Water how to read it.
It sits on the face of the dial and turns faster as flow increases, so a slow turn with everything shut off is still a warning.