How much water are you using?

[Gukashar]

Just wondering if folks can give me a sanity check.

Since February, I have cycled, QTd in a 10 gallon, and set up my 26 gallon tank.
Just got our water bill from the last two months, and it was insane compared to last year.
The utility sent us a letter saying we probably had a leak, but I assumed it was from my RODI system?

Well, here is our usage. Best I can tell from my notes, I've made about 200 - 250 gallons of RODI water since mid February.
But there is no way that's 20 units of water? Does that account for this much usage?

 

[UncommonSense]

You have a leak!!

To clarify: In a water bill, one "unit" typically refers to 100 cubic feet of water, which is equivalent to approximately 748 gallons. This is a common standard across many water utilities.

Unless you’re running irrigation and showering at least an hour a day; I would look at the auto shutoff switch on your RO system!

My RODO system is from BRS, I have had to replace the automatic shutoff valve 4-5 times in a decade.

I’ve known it’s leaking because I drain my waste water to a outdoor aquaponic system, and can clearly see water coming out of the waste water line when the RODI system hasn’t been used in hours!

I recommend checking to see if your waste line is trickling water 24/7, especially when you haven’t been using your RO system at all that day!

Edit; also consider draining your waste water into a garden/etc if you’re just dumping it down the drain! — I ran the waste line into the crawlspace, and out a vent to the ornamental garden at a buddy’s place!

 

[sbeason]

I seriously doubt it is your RO making..... Something else is going on and it started in Oct-Dec timeframe.

 

[UncommonSense]

I seriously doubt it is your RO making..... Something else is going on and it started in Oct-Dec timeframe.

Agreed, common points of water leaks outside RO systems are:
- fill/flush seals in toilet tanks
- faucets/hose spigots weeping
- irrigation solenoid seals
- appliance water connections

Less common, but more ugly:
- pipe cracked and weeping (tree root through underground irrigation plumbing)
- home supply line from municipality damaged between water shutoff and meter.


(I thought I had the latter supply line damaged, it turned out that there was a tee in the city supply plumbing underground, going to a hose spigot… so, I had the former…)

 

[BryanM]

Had a similar issue prior to reefing.

Had to turn all sprinkler zones on one by one, found two different cracked pipes.

 

[Gukashar]

I turned off all the toilet water connections and found one that it's silently emptying it's back tank about every 15 minutes.

Feel like an idiot. My wife manages the water bill and when she told me it was high last time, I just thought it was the RODI. :P

Thanks for sanity check.

 

[UncommonSense]

I turned off all the toilet water connections and found one that it's silently emptying it's back tank about every 15 minutes.

Feel like an idiot. My wife manages the water bill and when she told me it was high last time, I just thought it was the RODI. :p

Thanks for sanity check.

It’s a Lego part to replace; Available at any hardware store!

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

450g in RODI for evap
200g a month in water changes

It’s a Lego part to replace; Available at any hardware store!

 

[exnisstech]

Not too long I had two monthly bills totaling around $5700 and another $1k to fix the broken line at the meter

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

Not too long I had two monthly bills totaling around $5700 and another $1k to fix the broken line at the meter

Same. $7,400.

 

[mfinn]

I can understand panic when it comes to water bills.
Our water company ( private well system for about 2000 customers) sold out to a large company a couple years ago.
Now our water bills have sky rocketed. Out lowest bill last winter was double that of our previous highest summer bill.
The summer bill we just got was 4x what it was with the old company. I realize we are in new territory with climate and such, but still,,,,,,,,,,