When you want to reduce your water bill, most people immediately begin thinking about ways of cutting back on water usage or changing their behavior by limiting washings buying expensive water conserving appliances. While these things certainly can't hurt, many people overlook a much more basic culprit of wasting water: all their leaky bathroom faucets and toilets!
The bathroom is the most likely place to find a majority of minor water leaks that are fixable. It has the most outlets for water in most homes and it gets a lot of usage, so it's understandable if sinks, toilets and showers start to leak after years of repeated daily use. Here, then, are some common leaks to look for:
Dripping Sink Faucet: Sure, a little dripping from a sink faucet is annoying, but is it really a major waster of water? To find out you can put a cup under the dripping faucet and see how much water you collect in an hour and then multiply that amount by 24 hours. Chances are, you'll be shocked by how much water you're wasting. Most leaky faucets can be fixed by replacing the rubber washers in the handle mechanism or in the spout. Most faucets come with instructions on how to do this, though if you're handy with a screwdriver and a wrench you should quickly be able to figure out how to replace the washers in your particular model.
Leaky Shower/Tub Diverter: If you have a shower and bathtub combination in your bathroom then you probably have a shower diverter knob which allows you to divert the water from the tub faucet to the shower head. They come in a variety of different shapes and sizes, but they all are prone to wear over time. Eventually these shower diverters leak and need to be fixed. Most work by pushing a little valve with a rubber seal back and forth. Over time that rubber can get dirty and crack and break as it dries out. This means that when you take a shower you'll see water coming out from your tub faucet. That water is falling down the drain and being wasted.
Constantly Running Toilet: If you have a toilet that runs intermittently throughout the day then you might need to replace the toilet flapper to stop that excess water from leaking from the toilet tank into the toilet bowl. The flapper is a rubber or plastic trapdoor which lifts when you flush, and that rubber sometimes wears out and dry rots over time. It's relatively easy to fix a toilet flapper and often doesn't even require any special tools.
Fixing these common leaks is a great way to save water and money at the same time. The sooner you fix these leaks, the sooner you'll reduce your water bill. Remember that leaks can actually become more damaging over time, so if you find a leak it's always best to fix it sooner rather than later.
The bathroom is the most likely place to find a majority of minor water leaks that are fixable. It has the most outlets for water in most homes and it gets a lot of usage, so it's understandable if sinks, toilets and showers start to leak after years of repeated daily use. Here, then, are some common leaks to look for:
Dripping Sink Faucet: Sure, a little dripping from a sink faucet is annoying, but is it really a major waster of water? To find out you can put a cup under the dripping faucet and see how much water you collect in an hour and then multiply that amount by 24 hours. Chances are, you'll be shocked by how much water you're wasting. Most leaky faucets can be fixed by replacing the rubber washers in the handle mechanism or in the spout. Most faucets come with instructions on how to do this, though if you're handy with a screwdriver and a wrench you should quickly be able to figure out how to replace the washers in your particular model.
Leaky Shower/Tub Diverter: If you have a shower and bathtub combination in your bathroom then you probably have a shower diverter knob which allows you to divert the water from the tub faucet to the shower head. They come in a variety of different shapes and sizes, but they all are prone to wear over time. Eventually these shower diverters leak and need to be fixed. Most work by pushing a little valve with a rubber seal back and forth. Over time that rubber can get dirty and crack and break as it dries out. This means that when you take a shower you'll see water coming out from your tub faucet. That water is falling down the drain and being wasted.
Constantly Running Toilet: If you have a toilet that runs intermittently throughout the day then you might need to replace the toilet flapper to stop that excess water from leaking from the toilet tank into the toilet bowl. The flapper is a rubber or plastic trapdoor which lifts when you flush, and that rubber sometimes wears out and dry rots over time. It's relatively easy to fix a toilet flapper and often doesn't even require any special tools.
Fixing these common leaks is a great way to save water and money at the same time. The sooner you fix these leaks, the sooner you'll reduce your water bill. Remember that leaks can actually become more damaging over time, so if you find a leak it's always best to fix it sooner rather than later.
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