Suspicious landlord

[JosieDe]

Hi
I'm a girl raised in the city and just moved into a rental in the country. This place has well water/pump. The landlord has asked me to shut down the electric in the box located inside my rental when I sleep or leave the home until the plumber is able to come out and fix the leak. I noticed a big puddle of water outside where he feeds and waters the cows when i forgot to shut it off one night. He is not charging me for electric till the leak is fixed but assures me he had another well for the cows...I only see the picket?(not sure correct word) by my well although I have no idea how it works. Is there a way I can tell if he is using my well for the cows? I haven't signed the lease yet but don't want to get stuck in a mess...
Thank you for your help

 

[Reach4]

picket

Probably spigot, maybe a yard hydrant.

Is there a way I can tell if he is using my well for the cows? I haven't signed the lease yet but don't want to get stuck in a mess...

I presume you only turn off the breaker to the pump, rather than electricity for the whole house.

Is there another electric meter? If only one, you could see if that spigot can put out 2o gallons of water while your entire electric is switched off. Also, the meter should not show electric usage when your meter is off. So you could turn off your breaker. Take a photo of the meter. Come back later and compare the photo before turning your house power back on.

Or just ask him where the meter for the cows is. Note however, that a Michigan well (probably not really deep) is probably unlikely to use much power for watering 20 cows. One kilowatt hour (10 to 15 cents maybe) might be 500 gallons.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[JosieDe]

Probably spigot, maybe a yard hydrant.


I presume you only turn off the breaker to the pump, rather than electricity for the whole house.

Is there another electric meter? If only one, you could see if that spigot can put out 2o gallons of water while your entire electric is switched off. Also, the meter should not show electric usage when your meter is off. So you could turn off your breaker. Take a photo of the meter. Come back later and compare the photo before turning your house power back on.

Or just ask him where the meter for the cows is. Note however, that a Michigan well (probably not really deep) is probably unlikely to use much power for watering 20 cows. One kilowatt hour (10 to 15 cents maybe) might be 500 gallons.

I have no idea where to even look for meters

 

[JosieDe]

I have no idea where to even look for meters

That is correct only breaker to the pump gets shut off

 

[Reach4]

I have no idea where to even look for meters

See the wires coming to the house? Outside the house there, or on a pole at the other end of the wires.

 

[LLigetfa]

He is not charging me for electric till the leak is fixed but assures me he had another well for the cows...

A constant leak can consume a lot of electricity. Try leaving the breaker off most of the time, only turning it on when you need to use water. If the landlord is watering the cows with your pump, he would have to ask you to turn on the breaker and then you would know.

 

[LLigetfa]

If you know what spigot he uses to water the cows, see if it produces water the next morning after you turned off the breaker for the night.

 

[Bannerman]

If you know what spigot he uses to water the cows, see if it produces water the next morning after you turned off the breaker for the night

Before testing the flow at the 'cow faucet', while the pump remains shut-off, open a faucet in your home to allow any remaining pressure in your pressure tank to be released until the water stops flowing from the faucet. This will ensure that the cow faucet if connected to your pump, it too will not flow water unless it is fed from a different water system than yours.