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Plumbing help · Fiddlers Canyon, Cedar City
Emergency plumber in Fiddlers Canyon, UT: a climbing water bill, sprinkler leaks and what to check before you call
If your water bill jumped and nothing looks wrong, the leak may be in the yard or under the slab where you cannot see it. A few checks with your own meter tell you whether to call, and what to tell the plumber when you do.
Water bill up, nothing visible?
- FIRST
- Read the meter, then use no water for thirty minutes
- NEXT
- Check the meter again for movement
- THEN
- Call with both readings and the times
Water bill up and nothing visible? Run the meter test first
- Turn off every tap, the dishwasher and the washer, and make sure no one flushes.
- Find the meter and note the reading, including the small dial or flow indicator if it has one.
- Wait at least thirty minutes without using any water.
- Read the meter again. If the dial moved, water is going somewhere.
- Write down both readings and the times, and call.
A moving dial tells you a leak exists. It does not tell you where. Finding the pipe is the next step, and finding a hidden leak explains how a plumber pinpoints it.
What the city does and does not watch for you
Cedar City’s water plan says customer meters are read monthly and that the city has no active leak detection program. It also says the residential rate rises as use rises.
A private-side leak is yours to find, and a rising rate means a leak gets expensive quickly. Check your bill each month against the last one, and run the meter test whenever it jumps.
Source: Cedar City Water Conservation Plan 2024, pp. 12 to 15, and Cedar City Water Element; primary sources.
Meter still moving after thirty minutes?
Call with your two readings and the times. A plumber can tell you what to check next.
Is my Fiddlers Canyon address in range?
E Fiddlers Canyon Rd addresses fall in ZIP code 84721; nearby streets may use 84720. Neighborhood edges are not official city lines, so give your street address and ZIP when you call.
Calls to this number are covered for ZIP codes 84720 and 84721. If you are unsure whether your address is in range, call and the person who answers will confirm.
Calls from Fiddlers Canyon, from addresses around Southern Utah University and from the rest of Cedar City reach the same number.
Sprinkler lines and hose bibs: leaks you cannot see from the house
Outdoor leaks hide well. A broken sprinkler head or a cracked line wastes water without a puddle that shows from the window. If the meter moves with the house shut off, the yard is the next place to look.
The watering window and the leak test
Cedar City’s ordinance bars outside watering between 8 AM and 6 PM, with the plan listing April 1 to October 31 as the season. Confirm the current rule with the city.
Run irrigation leak tests outside those hours. Ask a plumber to check each zone valve, and walk the lines for soft ground. If the city offers an outdoor water survey, the plan says it does for single-family homes, ask about it.
Source: Cedar City Water Conservation Plan 2024, p. 31, and Cedar City Water Element; primary sources.
A dripping or split outdoor spigot is a fixture repair, covered under hose bib repair. Disconnect hoses in the fall so water does not freeze in the spigot.
Hot water that runs short: what 13 grains per gallon does to a heater
A very hard water estimate for Iron County
A USGS estimate based on county samples puts hardness at about 13 grains per gallon, which is very hard. It is a county estimate, not a reading from your tap.
Scale builds up in a tank and on heating elements and cuts hot water over time. Ask the plumber about flushing the tank, and have your tap water tested before choosing treatment.
Source: USGS county-level estimate as published on tapwaterdata.com; secondary source.
If the heater is leaking from the tank, replacing the heater is the likely next step. If it is a part, see heater part repairs. A softener for hard water can slow the scale.
Toilets and faucets: the leaks that never reach the floor
A running toilet or a dripping faucet sends water down the drain, so you never see a puddle. It shows up only on the bill. Both are quick to check and usually quick to fix.
- Put a few drops of food coloring in the toilet tank and wait fifteen minutes without flushing. Color in the bowl means the flapper leaks.
- Listen at night. A toilet that refills by itself, or a hiss from the tank, is wasting water.
- Look under every sink for damp cabinet floors and wet supply lines.
A leaking toilet is covered on the toilet repair page. Tell the plumber what you found, and the meter readings you took earlier.
If water is already on the floor
- Close the main shutoff valve and open the lowest faucet.
- Move rugs and furniture off wet floors, and stay clear of outlets.
- Photograph the damage and the source for your insurer.
- Start drying within 24 to 48 hours. See water damage cleanup for what can be dried and what goes.
What to tell the plumber about your meter and your yard
- Your street address and ZIP code
- The two meter readings and the times, if you ran the test
- Where you see water, or why you think there is a leak
- Whether the water heater is gas or electric, and about how old it is
- Whether sprinklers or a hose are connected outside
Leaks that justify a call tonight, and ones that do not
Make the call now
- Water running that you cannot stop
- A meter moving fast with everything off
- Wet drywall, a sagging ceiling or water near outlets
- A smell of gas anywhere in the house (leave first)
Fine to schedule
- A bill that crept up a little over several months
- A sprinkler head that sprays badly
- A water heater that is lukewarm but not leaking
- A faucet that drips
Bills, sprinklers and ZIP codes: questions answered
Does Cedar City look for leaks on my side of the meter?
The city’s water plan says it has no active leak detection program, so a leak on your side of the meter is yours to find. Run the meter test, and call a plumber if the dial moves with everything off.
When can I run my sprinklers or test an irrigation line?
The city’s ordinance, as cited in its water plan, bars outside watering between 8 AM and 6 PM during the watering season. Confirm the current rule with the city before you test a line, and plan any test outside those hours.
Which ZIP code does Fiddlers Canyon use?
E Fiddlers Canyon Rd addresses fall in ZIP code 84721, and nearby streets may use 84720. Calls to this number are covered for 84720 and 84721, so call with your address and the person who answers will confirm.
Why does my hot water run out faster than it used to?
Sediment and scale in the tank are a common cause, and Iron County water is estimated to be very hard. Ask a plumber whether flushing would help or whether the tank is near the end of its life.
Fiddlers Canyon services: leaks, heaters, softeners and cleanup
Water bill up or water on the floor?
Call with your address, ZIP and what you see. You will talk to a plumber, not fill in a form.