My daughter has been pulling her hair out trying to track down why her water bills are erratic. She lives in an 800 sq ft apt with her boyfriend and their water bills wildly fluctuated over the winter months from $40 to $120. Now that they have switched their unit to air conditioning, the usage appears to have stabilized. I assume she has a heat pump type unit since she said they just switched it to air conditioning mode. Her apartment manager and water company are just sending her chasing her tail. Thanks for any suggestions !
Heat Pump causing Erratic Water Usage/Billing ?
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WorthFlorida
Clinical Trail on a Cancer Drug Started 1/31/24. ☹
If they can see their water meter, it is very easy to see if water is running. Most analog meters have a little three pointed pinwheel. It will turn with the smallest amount of water being used. more flow the faster the pin wheel spins. Digital meters the display will usually flash when water is used and some will have a blinking arrow but more difficult on water usage unless you take notice of amount used over time.
There is a possibility that the heat pump, below a certain outside temperature will use water to extract heat. Only a thought. have a look at the meter when no water is running and turn on the heat pump and see what happens? Could be a leaky toilet or an outside spigot.
There is a possibility that the heat pump, below a certain outside temperature will use water to extract heat. Only a thought. have a look at the meter when no water is running and turn on the heat pump and see what happens? Could be a leaky toilet or an outside spigot.
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Unfortunately, my daughter does not have access to the meter - it’s behind a locked door. Also, her apartment is on the 12th floor of an apartment building - there is no outside spigot. They checked their toilet to make sure it was not running..
WorthFlorida
Clinical Trail on a Cancer Drug Started 1/31/24. ☹
There are several ways to cool and heat tall apartment buildings so there is no easy answer.
The problem is NOT the water heater. The method of heating hot water has zero effect on water usage. Switching a heat pump water heater to heat-pump-only mode won't change the water bill (but it should reduce the ELECTRIC bill noticeably, assuming it's not stuck in some closet or tiny room) but taking a shower or filling a tub with a gas water heater or heat pump water heater or plain old electric tank will take the same amount of water.
If the local water rates change by season or by steps in overall usage it can result in erratic water bills. In some water-scarce areas with tiered water use rates the rates above the tier threshold limits can be quite substantial, but we don't have any clue as to how water is billed in your area.
If someone else's unit (or even just the bathroom) is being drawn through your daughter's meter due to plumbing errors it could result in hard to explain changes in water use.
Fitter30
Well-Known Member
You wrote heat pump switch to cooling are for comfort cooling and heating. Because a heat pump water heater ould be in cooling mode all the time.
hard to tell without knowing the type of HP (air-source, water source etc), but it is very unlikely that it has anything to do with HP. You should check the water bill on actual water usage then start to make some sense out of it..
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