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Water swirling in a toilet bowl during a flush

Field guide for Burlington owners

High Water Bill? Checking for Leaks

When a bill spikes for no clear reason, it generally means water is escaping somewhere. Your meter can tell you whether you have a leak before you start opening walls.

  • Steps you can safely take yourself
  • What it looks like in Burlington houses
  • When to put the wrench down and phone us
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The short answer

Turn off every fixture and watch the meter's low-flow indicator. If it moves, you have a leak. Toilets are the most common cause.

Key point

When a bill spikes for no clear reason, it generally means water is escaping somewhere.

Working through it

  1. Find the meter. Most often in the basement, next to the main valve.
  2. Turn off all water use. Including ice makers and softeners.
  3. Watch the meter. The small dial or triangle shows low flow.
  4. Test toilets. Food colouring in the tank; tint showing in the bowl points to the flapper.
  5. Check outside taps and irrigation.
  6. Look for damp spots.
Meter reading: take a reading at night and compare it at breakfast before anyone runs a tap. Any change means a leak.

Have this ready when you call

  • Which fixture, which floor
  • Whether the main is closed
  • Rough age of the house and heater
  • Any past floods or drain work

Time to bring in the trade

Phone us if the dial creeps and you cannot spot the source. See leak detection and toilet repair.

First move in a leak

Close the main shut-off, open a low tap to drain pressure, then call (365) 464-5184.

Common hidden culprits

  • Toilet flappers: an aged or bent flapper trickles water into the bowl constantly.
  • Fill valves: set too high, sending water down the overflow tube.
  • Outdoor taps: dripping hose bibs or a cracked pipe behind the wall.
  • Irrigation systems: broken heads or leaking valves underground.
  • Water softeners: stuck in regeneration.
  • Water heater relief valves: dripping into a floor drain unnoticed.
  • Service line: a leak between the meter and the house, or underground.

Most of these can be checked by eye or ear. Listen near the toilet tank for hissing. Look at the floor drain near the water heater for a wet trail. Walk the yard looking for soggy spots that never dry. If nothing turns up and the meter still moves, a plumber can isolate sections of the system until the leak is found.

Burlington specifics

Halton Region bills water and wastewater. If your bill seems wrong, check with the Region as well.

Questions we hear

Can a running toilet raise my bill?

Yes, significantly.

What if the meter moves but nothing is visible?

It may be hiding in a wall, beneath concrete or underground.

Call now(365) 464-5184