As you lie in bed at night and
hear the annoying drip of a leaky faucet or the water continuously running in
your toilet, you are literally listening to money go down the drain. Leaky faucets and toilets waste thousands of
gallons of water per household each year, a costly mistake for both your wallet
and the environment.
An unusually high water bill is
most often caused by a leak or change in water use. A leaking toilet, a toilet that continues to
run after being flushed, a dripping faucet, a broken pipe or obvious leak and
water softener problems are just a few of the common causes of high water
bills. Fixing household water leaks can
save homeowners about 10 percent on their water bills. The average costs of a fast dripping faucet
can end up costing you $60 to $200 a year.
Leaky toilets can cost $840 a year!
Follow these tips to help reduce the amount of wasted water and keep
your money in your pocket!
Tip #1: Know how to read
your water meter
It is important to know how to
read your water meter in order to monitor your water use and watch for water
leaks. First you will need to locate the
water meter on your property. Be very
careful when removing your meter box lid.
Do not drop the lid on the meter!
Most meters look like the one
pictured. The dial will rotate when
water passes through the meter. One full
rotation of the dial equals one cubic foot of water or 7.48 gallons. The Low Flow Indicator will rotate with very
little water movement. Any water moving
through the meter is detected so even small leaks will register. The odometer records total water use in a
similar way as the odometer in your car records miles driven. It records water use in cubic feet and cannot
be altered.
Tip #2: How to monitor your
water use
Read the odometer and write it
down completely. Then write down the
date you read it. After a period of days
(example: 7 days) read the odometer again and write it down along with the
date. Subtract the first reading from
the second reading. This is your water
use in cubic feet during the period.
Multiply the water use by 7.48.
This is your water use in gallons for that period. Divide the water use in gallons by the number
of days between readings. This is your
average gallon per day usage for the period.
Tip #3: How to watch for
leaks
Leaks, whether unseen or unfixed,
can waste hundreds and even thousands of gallons of water as well as drain your
pocketbook. It’s important to routinely
check your plumbing and home for leaky faucets, toilets, and outside taps and
irrigation lines.
One way to detect a leak is to
check your water meter before and after a time period when no water is being
used (example: 4 hours). Turn off all
water indoors and outdoors including sprinklers, ice maker, etc. If the meter shows no obvious movement, note the
reading on the meter and return in four hours to see if there is a change. If you do notice movement, check all
appliances, faucets, toilets and other water sources for drips and leaks.
(Note: if you use water during that time
the meter reading will change so make sure no water is being used).
Tip #4: The most common
leaks
Toilet and faucet leaks, outdoor
and underground leaks and irrigation systems all can be a water leak
culprit. Check these options to make
sure they are working properly.
Faucet leaks - A dripping faucet can
waste 20 gallons of water or more a day!
It’s rather easy to overlook a leaky faucet but there are ways to
check. Look for a puddle of water around
a faucet that has been turned off. Wrap a
towel around the faucet or hang a plastic bag under the faucet and check to see
if any water collects throughout the day.
You can even do this in the shower!
A leaking shower head can waste more than 500 gallons per year. That’s the amount of water it takes to wash
60 loads of dishes in your dishwasher!
Toilets
- The most common cause for a high water
bill is running water from your toilet.
This can double a family’s typical water use so fix toilet leaks as soon
as possible. One way to find out if you
have a toilet leak is to place a drop of food coloring in the toilet tank. If the color shows up in the bowl within 15
minutes without flushing, you have a leak.
Make sure to flush immediately after this experiment to avoid staining
the tank!
Outdoor and underground leaks - Leaks can occur in
harder to find places, such as under your house or in the service line between
your water meter and your home. Check
outdoor spigots and crawl spaces as well as look for wet spots in your yard,
which may indicate a leak.
Irrigation systems - During the summer
irrigation systems are a common source of high water use. Irrigation systems should be checked
regularly to be sure they are functioning properly and have no leaks or broken
sprinkler heads. It’s a good idea to
check each spring before use as well to make sure it was not damaged by frost
or freezing. A leak 1/32nd
of an inch in diameter (about the thickness of a dime) can waste about 6,300
gallons of water a month!
If you receive a water bill that
you feel is too high, check over the common causes listed above. This may help pinpoint the source of the high
bill. The utility company can also send
someone out to check the meter and property for a leak. If the meter reading is checked and found to
be accurate, you may need to contact a licensed plumber … Carter’s My Plumber!
Carter’s My Plumber is a local, family-owned plumbing contractor located in Greenwood, Indiana, providing plumbing service to the Indianapolis, Greenwood, Whiteland, Franklin, Bargersville, Trafalgar, Mooresville, Wannamaker, Beech Grove and Southport areas. Carter’s My Plumber has a special menu of services designed to meet the needs of every homeowner to provide a complete solution to their home’s plumbing system. With over 30 years of plumbing experience, their trained plumbers meet the plumbing need of every residential and light commercial need.
Carter’s My Plumber is a local, family-owned plumbing contractor located in Greenwood, Indiana, providing plumbing service to the Indianapolis, Greenwood, Whiteland, Franklin, Bargersville, Trafalgar, Mooresville, Wannamaker, Beech Grove and Southport areas. Carter’s My Plumber has a special menu of services designed to meet the needs of every homeowner to provide a complete solution to their home’s plumbing system. With over 30 years of plumbing experience, their trained plumbers meet the plumbing need of every residential and light commercial need.
