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-   -   $500.00 Month Water Bills (https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/villages-florida-general-discussion-73/500-00-month-water-bills-298739/)

justjim 10-04-2019 09:18 AM

$500.00 Month Water Bills
 
I’ve been reading on a neighborhood site about Villagers receiving excessive water bills recently and wonder if any TOTV residents are among those who have received such a bill. I personally have not. According to some the problem is faulty water meters that are affected by lightning that strikes in The Villages. Most, if not all, problems seem to be in the summer during lightning season. A number of residents appear to be frustrated with the utility company and have issues with trying to get a large bill resolved. Of course, occasionally a break in an irrigation line, plumbing issue or error in billing are major factors. My neighbor had an irrigation line come loose at a joint two years ago and water was bubbling up in his front yard. There are some previous Threads on excessive water bills but no recent ones.

TedfromGA 10-04-2019 09:42 AM

Along the same lines of meter accuracy, has anyone actually verified their water meter accuracy? Any suggestions as to how check the accuracy?

Toymeister 10-04-2019 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TedfromGA (Post 1686172)
Along the same lines of meter accuracy, has anyone actually verified their water meter accuracy? Any suggestions as to how check the accuracy?

I have. I use a Flume Wi-Fi water monitor that measures water use at the meter using non invasive means, tells me exactly how much water I am using,, real time. It gives alerts for leaks as well. If you want 10% off I have a coupon code for it (PM me). Full price is 199.00 at Amazon'.

I use one for irrigation, one for potable water. It was ten minute job to install. No pipe cutting, no plumber. If you can tie your shoes you have got this.

Toymeister 10-04-2019 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by justjim (Post 1686168)
I’ve been reading on a neighborhood site about Villagers receiving excessive water bills recently and wonder if any TOTV residents are among those who have received such a bill. I personally have not. According to some the problem is faulty water meters that are affected by lightning that strikes in The Villages. Most, if not all, problems seem to be in the summer during lightning season. A number of residents appear to be frustrated with the utility company and have issues with trying to get a large bill resolved. Of course, occasionally a break in an irrigation line, plumbing issue or error in billing are major factors. My neighbor had an irrigation line come loose at a joint two years ago and water was bubbling up in his front yard. There are some previous Threads on excessive water bills but no recent ones.

It happened to neighbor six houses down. If it happens to me I have some facts to recognize it immediately, as noted above.

Toymeister 10-04-2019 10:44 AM

I also have a Streamlabs water monitor. Available on line at Home Depot or Amazon for 199.00 it uses ultrasonic technology. It requires more technical ability than flume. It cannot be used for irrigation water. I would not buy this again now that Flume is available but it might be right for you.

rjm1cc 10-04-2019 11:06 AM

One problem can be that the irrigation controller is set to run more than once on a given day or additional days. Espically for new lawns that get watered a lot for the first few weeks - resetting to a normal cycle may not be done correctly.

Pinball wizard 10-04-2019 12:46 PM

Are we talking about irrigation water or potable? I have a water softener that measures consumption.

Toymeister 10-04-2019 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pinball wizard (Post 1686217)
Are we talking about irrigation water or potable? I have a water softener that measures consumption.

Interesting, does it fell you if you have a leak? If your water has been running for an extensive time? Does it send you texts? All of these technological feats are simple to do it if is counting the gallons.

Topspinmo 10-04-2019 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by justjim (Post 1686168)
I’ve been reading on a neighborhood site about Villagers receiving excessive water bills recently and wonder if any TOTV residents are among those who have received such a bill. I personally have not. According to some the problem is faulty water meters that are affected by lightning that strikes in The Villages. Most, if not all, problems seem to be in the summer during lightning season. A number of residents appear to be frustrated with the utility company and have issues with trying to get a large bill resolved. Of course, occasionally a break in an irrigation line, plumbing issue or error in billing are major factors. My neighbor had an irrigation line come loose at a joint two years ago and water was bubbling up in his front yard. There are some previous Threads on excessive water bills but no recent ones.

Some people don’t have clue how long to run irrigation system. Couple in my neighborhood run irrigation so long the most water runs down the street drain for nearly hour 3 or 4 days week. It’s waste of water and money. That would be the first place I would look HOW long each system runs and how much runoff.

justjim 10-04-2019 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Topspinmo (Post 1686221)
Some people don’t have clue how long to run irrigation system. Couple in my neighborhood run irrigation so long the most water runs down the street drain for nearly hour 3 or 4 days week. It’s waste of water and money. That would be the first place I would look HOW long each system runs and how much runoff.

Topspinmo I hear you as I have seen the same in my neighborhood. However, if you have your irrigation system programmed correctly and you have the water to the house turned off while on vacation up north and you use 60,000 gallons of water then what is the problem? You have the system checked inside and out for leaks by experts, and can’t find any leaks it almost has to be a water meter problem. In some cases the water utility checked the meters, and found a “faulty” meter. An adjustment in the bill was made. In other cases the meter was said to be okay by the water utility and the owner had to reluctantly pay the high water bill. Can a lightning strike close by cause a temporary surge in a meter and when checked the meter be deemed okay? That question is above my pay grade and my expertise.

Toymeister 10-04-2019 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by justjim (Post 1686265)
Topspinmo I hear you as I have seen the same in my neighborhood. However, if you have your irrigation system programmed correctly and you have the water to the house turned off while on vacation up north and you use 60,000 gallons of water then what is the problem? You have the system checked inside and out for leaks by experts, and can’t find any leaks it almost has to be a water meter problem. In some cases the water utility checked the meters, and found a “faulty” meter. An adjustment in the bill was made. In other cases the meter was said to be okay by the water utility and the owner had to reluctantly pay the high water bill. Can a lightning strike close by cause a temporary surge in a meter and when checked the meter be deemed okay? That question is above my pay grade and my expertise.

It is not above my pay grade. The meter works by my the motion of water spinning a needle. The tip of the needle, for lack of a better explaination, has a magnet. Separate from the mechanical aspect of the meter a counter counts how many times the magnet passes by it. This count is what the meter reader is checking with the probe. Count equals gallons.

If somehow an electromagnetic force interferes with the count your Bill Will be off. A lightning strike is a massive electromagnetic force.

thelegges 10-04-2019 05:02 PM

Our irrigation was off inside water off, used 48,000 gallons of water. No leaks in system, verification by 2 companies, we are checking into bill.

Toymeister 10-04-2019 05:09 PM

So, how does a water monitor play into this. Let's take two customers, both are up north both have the water shut off. neither has a pool, the neighbors do not have a pool. One has a monitor one does not. Both get a Bill for 60,000 gallons. One has water consumption data for a year, every single day, that matches every bill for the past year except this bill, the other has nothing. The monitor has national accreditation for accuracy. What would you do if you were receiving the complaint at the water utility?

Toymeister 10-04-2019 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thelegges (Post 1686268)
Our irrigation was off inside water off, used 48,000 gallons of water. No leaks in system, verification by 2 companies, we are checking into bill.

There are irrigation controllers that install their own "meter" that tell you how many gallons are used. It is plumbed and will give you data for any leak down line. But why do that when you can get a read directly from the meter by Wi-Fi?

I just do not understand why people only think of this after a problem comes out. Every. Single. House. that I have owned has had a water leak. Pipe fitting burst, washing machine hose, ice maker, irrigation lines. They all have failed. No more, if I have a problem I will fix immediately and not post about it to strangers on the internet.

champion6 10-04-2019 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TedfromGA (Post 1686172)
Along the same lines of meter accuracy, has anyone actually verified their water meter accuracy? Any suggestions as to how check the accuracy?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toymeister (Post 1686180)
I have. I use a Flume Wi-Fi water monitor that measures water use at the meter using non invasive means, tells me exactly how much water I am using,, real time. It gives alerts for leaks as well. If you want 10% off I have a coupon code for it (PM me). Full price is 199.00 at Amazon'.
I use one for irrigation, one for potable water. It was ten minute job to install. No pipe cutting, no plumber. If you can tie your shoes you have got this.

Does the Flume confirm that the meter supplied by the water company is accurately measuring your usage?


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