Five Minutes at the Meter Tells You a Lot
The City of Chandler publishes a simple leak check. The meter box is usually near the sidewalk in front of the house, in line with the main outside faucet.
- 1. Turn off all water, inside and out, including the irrigation controller.
- 2. Read the meter. On a digital meter, watch the flow rate for at least 10 flashes: anything above zero means water is moving. On a dial meter, note the sweep hand and check again in 10 minutes.
- 3. Close the house shut-off, usually under the outside faucet near the front. If the meter still moves, the leak is in the line between the meter and the house.
- 4. If it stops, the leak is inside: a toilet, a fixture, or a line under the slab.
Chandler notes two catches: the meter may not show irrigation or pool leaks, and an automatic pool filler or evaporative cooler can make it move on its own. Turn those off before you decide.
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Whose Leak Is It?
Chandler is direct about it: any leak after the meter on private property is the homeowner's responsibility. A leak at the meter itself goes to Chandler water distribution at 480-782-3700.
If you can't find the cause, the city also offers a free water audit for unexplained high use. Request it through Chandler Water Conservation.
About three in four Chandler homes were built between 1980 and 2009 (U.S. Census), most on slabs with water lines under the concrete. A warm spot on tile, the sound of running water, or damp baseboards with no fixture nearby all point under the floor.
Repair Options and Chandler Permits
We locate the leak before opening anything, then you choose:
- Spot repair: open the slab at the leak and repair that section.
- Reroute: abandon the line under the slab and run a new one through the walls or attic.
- Repipe: when several lines have failed, replacing them may cost less than the next leak. See whole-home repipe.
Chandler's permit manual says replacing or relocating water supply piping isn't an ordinary repair, so a reroute or repipe can need a permit, and we'll tell you before the work starts. Our $99 service call covers the visit and an upfront price, and it goes toward the repair if you go ahead.