Do you have a leaking toilet or a dripping faucet that you have been ignoring for some time? That leak is costing you money and wasting water, but do you know how much your water bills are increasing by postponing the repair?
On average, a household in North America wastes approximately 10,000 gallons of water annually, from water leaks. Around one out every ten homes has leaks that result in wasting 90 gallons or more daily.
A typical water leak of approximately 10 drips a minute will waste nearly one gallon per day, or 30 gallons per month, which costs less than $1 per month in many places. But when a faucet leaks 120 drips per minute wastes about 11 gallons per day, or 330 gallons a month, it could cost $6 per month depending on where you reside.
Water from a toilet that leaks can run straight into the sewer line and this may go unnoticed until you get your water bill. A running toilet may waste approximately 8 gallons per hour or 200 gallons per day. A running toilet that is left unnoticed could waste approximately 6,000 gallons per month, which could cost you as much as $70 per month if you have only one running toilet in your home.
Catastrophic water leaks happen in homes – more regularly than you’d expect actually. One in fifty-five homes experience a catastrophic water leak each year. Toilet lines burst, pipes freeze, refrigerator tubing cracks – the possibilities are endless. These leaks, on average, cause $8,000 worth of damage to the average home. Regularly, though, they can cause $100,000 of damage or more in an average home.
You can detect a running or leaky toilet and stop it if you just listen to the sound of water running, or phantom flushing when no one has touched its handle. A simple solution like replacing the faulty flapper will stop the toilet from wasting water.
Other wasteful factors that contribute to your high-water bills could be:
- Leaving the tap open while brushing your teeth which wastes 8 gallons per day.
- Letting the water run for five minutes when washing dishes by hand, which wastes 10 gallons each time.
- Running the dishwasher when partly full, which wastes 320 gallons per year.
- Failing to attend to a broken sprinkler head, which wastes 2,400 gallons per month.
Water Leaks from hoses, fittings, and pipes can damage your home resulting in high repair costs. Besides toilets and sinks, other places to watch out for leaks are:
- Refrigerator
- Washing machine hoses
- Plumbing under the kitchen and bathroom sinks
- Dishwasher
- Roof
- Windows and doors
- Pipes
Whether you are worried about water damage or high bills it is worth your while to find and stop the leaks quickly.
You could lower your water bills by:
- Inspecting your appliances, keeping an eye out for drips and leaks as these quickly increase over time.
- Install low-flow toilets or you could convert your current ones, saving 2 to 5 gallons per flush.
- Upgrade to Energy Star appliance
- Add aerators to the faucets as this would make the flow stronger, as well as reduce the amount of water your faucet uses.
- Use your dishwasher. You will be better off using a dishwasher if you take more than 3 minutes to wash your dishes.
- Last but not least, take shorter showers
Many plumbing issues are rather simple and don’t require full-service plumbing repairs, but for those that do, it’s best to catch them before they occur. Even a small leak can lead to mold or water damage that can cost a fortune to repair. Noticing small signs like leaks and a suddenly increased water bill can do wonders in preventing issues before they take a turn for the worse. If you’re in need of a professional Halifax Plumber, contact us today and let us help you with your water leak issues. Our team is always ready to help!