Forum | Plumbing advice needed. Non QPR by DaBurgh

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Plumbing advice needed. Non QPR 10:15 - Sep 15 with 2553 views

I probably should know this, but not sure, I'm getting conflicting advice. Our water consumption has doubled over the last 6 months, so checked out the meter and found that it is continuing to spin, very slightly, even when I turn off the stopcock into the house. This stopcock is located about 20 mètres from the meter so obviously a run of pipe under the house.
Now the conflicting advice I'm getting is that when I shut the valve for the incoming water on the water company's side of the meter, it stops spinning. Some friends tell me that's an indication of the problem being with the water company's pipes, but I'm not sure about that. Just FYI I live in France. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Cheers.

Plumbing advice needed. Non QPR on 10:24 - Sep 15 with 2507 views

PunteR

I'm not an expert on this but I think you need le plombier.

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Plumbing advice needed. Non QPR on 10:25 - Sep 15 with 2497 views

DaBurgh

Plumbing advice needed. Non QPR on 10:24 - Sep 15 by PunteR
I'm not an expert on this but I think you need le plombier.

Ha, ben oui!

Plumbing advice needed. Non QPR on 11:13 - Sep 15 with 2408 views

WokingR

In the UK, I think the water supply pipe becomes your responsibility once it crosses the boundary of your premises. Your leak is obviously between the water supply and your stopcock so may be worth speaking with your building insurer. In the UK your building insurer will give accidental damage cover on all mains services.
Sorry, don't know how much any of this applies to France though.

Plumbing advice needed. Non QPR on 11:23 - Sep 15 with 2378 views

TomS

Self-editorial decision to remove post, as you probably live in the house full time and it's probably not a holiday home. I thought the stopcock might have been the issue, but if you live in it full time that's not the answer.

[Post edited 15 Sep 2023 11:33]

Plumbing advice needed. Non QPR on 11:25 - Sep 15 with 2369 views

PlanetHonneywood

Well mon ami, it being France, you know there is the possibility of a lot of huffing, puffing and kerfuffle making before anything is done.

Out of interest, have you spoken to the water company? Good luck getting through of course, but it would seem to me that what you need is the advice of a 'plumber' to back your case up.

If you draw a blank with the water company, then I wonder if there is merit in going to your local Mairie and seeking out the person there that handles issues/complaints. In our local office, there is a person who acts/advises individuals with 'issues'. We were having an 'issue' with the agents and although it resolved itself, eventually, the person we saw was quite helpful.

Bonne chance!

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Plumbing advice needed. Non QPR on 11:45 - Sep 15 with 2318 views

stevec

Plumbing advice needed. Non QPR on 11:13 - Sep 15 by WokingR
In the UK, I think the water supply pipe becomes your responsibility once it crosses the boundary of your premises. Your leak is obviously between the water supply and your stopcock so may be worth speaking with your building insurer. In the UK your building insurer will give accidental damage cover on all mains services. Sorry, don't know how much any of this applies to France though.

Don’t know about France but as far as the UK is concerned, insurers quite often don’t cover the pipe between the water supply and your actual house, as I found to my cost some years back.

Best you can hope is it’s leaking adjacent to their water supply stop cock which they may try to argue against but is their responsibility and they will have to recompense. Been there before too, though the shenanigans are still going on between me and SES three and a half years later.

Good luck.

Plumbing advice needed. Non QPR on 11:55 - Sep 15 with 2305 views

FG_R

I’m probably stating the obvious here - but a mechanical flow meter requires a positive flow of water through it for the reading to increase. You shut off the stopcock on the company’s side of the meter and the flow stops. If the stopcock on the water company side of the meter is open and the stopcock in your house is closed then the flowmeter registers. Consequently, any leak must be occuring downstream of the flow meter but upstream of the stopcock in your house (assuming the stopcock in your house works properly – if it doesn’t, the leak could be anywhere in the house).
I can understand the confusion if your friends are saying that the fault lies upstream of the water company side of the meter but from what you’ve described I can’t see how that can be the case.

Plumbing advice needed. Non QPR on 12:14 - Sep 15 with 2258 views

DaBurgh

Plumbing advice needed. Non QPR on 11:25 - Sep 15 by PlanetHonneywood

My French other half telephoned the 'recommended' plumber of the water company. They quoted us 540 euros to come out and locate the problem, I assume that fee is separate from any charge for work to fix the fault. So needless to say we didn't give the go ahead. Good news is that our neighbour, who has a big vineyard domain has called her plumber, who knows where his baguette is buttered. He's coming this afternoon.

Plumbing advice needed. Non QPR on 12:15 - Sep 15 with 2251 views

DaBurgh

Thanks everyone for the advice. Plumber coming this afternoon. Just hope the living room floor doesn't have to be dug up.

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