A flooded meter box points to a leak around the meter. But where exactly is the leak? Water flows from the District’s main through a meter to the private side and then travels underground to a home’s shutoff valve. So, the leak can be on the District’s main side or the private side.
Isolate the Leaking Side
Before starting leak locating, a good plumber first finds out which section the leak is coming from. Is it from the District’s main or the private side? To figure this out is quite simple. All you need to do is turn off the water at the shutoff valve and check the flow indicator on the meter. If it’s spinning, that means the leak is on the private side. Note that if it’s not a fast leak, the flow indicator will be spinning slowly.
Get Your Leak Detection and Leak Locating Gear
You want to use the best leak detection equipment when locating the leak causing a flooded meter box. This can be anywhere along the main line to the shutoff valve. The right equipment make your job easier and faster, so get your probe, tracer, and listening equipment.
Trace the Water Line
Connect your pulsar equipment and make a loop from the meter box to the equipment tied onto the hose bib to charge the water line underneath. This will tell you where exactly in the ground the main line runs.
Locate the Leak
After that, take out your listening equipment and listen to the line underground. As you do this, mark the line to know where the main water line leads to the house. Now, stick your probe down into the ground along the line you marked and listen to where the water is loudest. That is usually right on top of the leak.
Next Step
Now that you’ve found the leak find out what is causing it and the best way to fix the problem. Tell your client what you’ve discovered and offer recommendations on how to repair it.
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