Queens, NY · Member since 2016 · 58 posts · 7 votes
Hello,
We bought a duplex in October of last year. Our water bill has been a lot higher compared to the bills in the last three years. I know a total of eight people lived in both units before we purchased the home and now it's just my fiance & I who live in the bigger unit and four people upstairs. The grandma is over a lot and I've gone upstairs to check something out and she will be in a robe so we aren't sure how much she stays over. The kids are home schooled so they're always home.
We had a leak which we took care of, but still not much of a difference in the bill. We would of been fine with the bill staying the same, but it's just getting to be too much. She's a quiet tenant who pays rent on time and we'd love for her to stay.
Investor · Philadelphia, PA · Member since 2016 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
9y
Are you sure there isn't another leak? Even a small leak adds up quickly.
I would rule that out first, then look at other options.
Maybe make a point to record the water meter daily at the same time each day. Is the use constant? (6 people showering every day or a leak? Or does it spike certain days? Maybe help determine where the usage is coming from.
Investor · Hyattsville, MD · Member since 2012 · 822 posts · 441 votes
9y
Check and proactively replace all of the toilet flappers and check flushing mechanism to make sure its flushing efficiently. the flapper(s) could have likely degraded and the bad seal might slowly leak into the bowl and cause a frequent refill of the tank. flappers usually need to be replaced every 5 years anyway since they degrade. toilets have always been a cause for high water usage in one of my condo buildings. Your tenants might not complain about water leaking into a bowl from a bad flapper seal, but it still uses tons of water. worth checking out as part of your troubleshooting...