Finding water leak?

[proton]

Been in this house over 12 years, suddenly the water bills shot up. Checking the meter with everything turned off including the toilet inlets the meter is still running. If The inlet tap is turned off in the garden just before the pump the meter stops, so it's house side. Pump on or off makes no difference, except the pump comes on and at regular intervals, even though no water is being used. Called the water dept, not their problem and no help. Cant see any water leak evidence in house (2 story) so it might be the pipes under the concrete at the back, Is there way of locating a leak, without ripping the house apart? 

[Crossy]

Check the obvious first.

 

A common issue is toilet float valves dribbling (turn them off at the wall rather than relying on sight). See if that helps.

 

Any particularly green plants in the garden? Obvious damp patches?

 

Failing all that you need a man with a leak detector (detects leaks by the sound it makes).

 

There are quite a few detectors on Lazada, no idea how well they work mind 😞

 

One of many: -

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/-i5530054188-s23510299903.html

 

[proton]

3 hours ago, Crossy said:

Check the obvious first.

 

A common issue is toilet float valves dribbling (turn them off at the wall rather than relying on sight). See if that helps.

 

Any particularly green plants in the garden? Obvious damp patches?

 

Failing all that you need a man with a leak detector (detects leaks by the sound it makes).

 

There are quite a few detectors on Lazada, no idea how well they work mind 😞

 

One of many: -

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/-i5530054188-s23510299903.html

 

 

Toilets were the first thing I turned off. Mrs got the water dept to agree to come and have a look, probably due to land subsiding somewhere

[frequentatore]

7 hours ago, proton said:

Been in this house over 12 years, suddenly the water bills shot up. Checking the meter with everything turned off including the toilet inlets the meter is still running. If The inlet tap is turned off in the garden just before the pump the meter stops, so it's house side. Pump on or off makes no difference, except the pump comes on and at regular intervals, even though no water is being used. Called the water dept, not their problem and no help. Cant see any water leak evidence in house (2 story) so it might be the pipes under the concrete at the back, Is there way of locating a leak, without ripping the house apart? 

Plastic pipes? Happens to many people. Earth movement. Pipe joint broken under the house. I had to put new pipes along the walls in a shophouse. I have done the same thing in an apartment: 20+years galvanized pipes full of rust.

[Chomper Higgot]

I had the same problem in our old house.

 

I fixed it by locating the water pipe first point of entry into the house, cutting it and connecting a new  above ground pipe from the pump to the point we’re I had cut the pipe.

 

When we built our current house I ran all piping under removable covers on external walls.

 

 

[SHA 2 BKK]

I had a new place built at Cha Am.  After two years noticed damp patches in my ceiling on the ground floor (two floor place).   I have a good builder who came and cut into the ceiling to let the water drip.   
 

Water had been slowly seeping into our concrete beams and finally dripped into the ceiling.  
 

For the love of all of us we couldn’t locate the leak!    He was ended up buying a Thermal Camera which was used to great effect.   Leaks behind walls showed immediately.  
 

Turned out the bloke installing the mirror in one of the upstairs bathrooms had drilled through the tile and into the water pipe to the shower.   

 

Damned unlucky but the Thermal Camera was a game changer.  

[proton]

14 minutes ago, SHA 2 BKK said:

I had a new place built at Cha Am.  After two years noticed damp patches in my ceiling on the ground floor (two floor place).   I have a good builder who came and cut into the ceiling to let the water drip.   
 

Water had been slowly seeping into our concrete beams and finally dripped into the ceiling.  
 

For the love of all of us we couldn’t locate the leak!    He was ended up buying a Thermal Camera which was used to great effect.   Leaks behind walls showed immediately.  
 

Turned out the bloke installing the mirror in one of the upstairs bathrooms had drilled through the tile and into the water pipe to the shower.   

 

Damned unlucky but the Thermal Camera was a game changer.  

 

We have had that problem as well, are the thermal cameras expensive?

[Crossy]

15 minutes ago, proton said:

We have had that problem as well, are the thermal cameras expensive?

 

The microphone detectors are a lot cheaper, so worth a shot to start with.

 

 

[sometimewoodworker]

1 hour ago, proton said:

 

We have had that problem as well, are the thermal cameras expensive?

To get a reasonable quality one you need to start at something like the HT-19 Handheld IR Digital Thermal Imager, I paid a little over ฿12,000 you can pay a little as ⅓ the price or upwards from 3 times the price. The reviews I read said that for a non professional or semiprofessional that the HT-19 was the best value for money.

[JimHuaHin]

I had the same problem years ago.

 

After a little investigation (no taps on, water flowing from mains into water tank; recheck taps; problem continues; turn tap from mains to water tank off; water level going down; shine light into tank; notice large crack in wall) found that the concrete water tank was leaking - large crack in a side wall.

[SHA 2 BKK]

14 hours ago, proton said:

 

We have had that problem as well, are the thermal cameras expensive?

Not sure mate.   The builder purchased it locally.  He said he can use for future projects.  
 

But I just looked on Temu (don’t judge me 5555) and one that appeared the same as his was about 6000 baht. 

 

Good Luck with it.   It’s a real pain. 

[proton]

Water blokes came round, would you believe it after spinning round for weeks the meter stopped when they turned up! I think as we turned the water off when we were out yesterday. Anyway they had a listen with these stethoscope poles and could hear leaks so they dug the pipes out, pretty good job, been here 5 hours so far, 2000 baht as it's house side. Assume caused by ground subsidence. Found 2 leaks.