Roughly a third of the leak calls we attend started as a "why is my Air Selangor bill so high" conversation. By the time the bill flags it, the water has often been running for a month or two. Your meter can tell you the same thing in ten minutes, for free, any weekend you like.
Step 1: Find and read the meter
For most landed homes the meter sits in a small chamber near the front gate. Lift the flap and you will see a row of black digits followed by red digits or small rotating dials. Black digits count cubic metres, which is what you are billed on. The red digits and the small spinning wheel count litres, and they are your leak detector.
Step 2: The still-water test
Pick a time when nobody needs water for half an hour. Then:
- Close every tap and confirm the washing machine, dishwasher and any filter flush cycle are off.
- Do not turn off the main stopcock. The line must stay pressurised.
- Photograph the meter, including the small wheel.
- Wait 30 minutes without using any water, then photograph it again.
If the small wheel has moved at all, water left your pipes while nothing was supposed to be using it. That is a leak, full stop.
Step 3: Narrow down which side it is on
Now close the stop valve at your storage tank inlet (usually in the airwell or above the kitchen) and repeat the 30-minute test. If the meter stops moving, the leak sits after the tank: commonly a toilet inlet valve, a heater relief valve dribbling into the drain, or the flexible hoses under sinks. If the meter still moves, the leak is in the buried or concealed line between the meter and the tank, which is the more serious case.
A toilet with a worn inlet valve can silently pass 400 litres a day. It is the most common "mystery bill" culprit we find, and the part costs less than lunch.
What the numbers mean in ringgit
One full turn of the litre wheel every 30 minutes is roughly 1.5 cubic metres a month, noticeable but small. A wheel spinning continuously at walking pace can be 15 to 30 cubic metres a month, which in the upper Air Selangor tariff bands is real money and, more importantly, is often soaking a wall or foundation somewhere.
When to stop and call someone
Replacing a toilet inlet valve or a flexible hose is honest DIY territory if you are comfortable with a spanner. But if the still-water test points to the concealed line before the tank, do not start hacking tiles on guesswork. That is exactly the case where professional leak tracing with moisture meters pays for itself, because opening the wrong wall costs more than the whole diagnostic visit.
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