Spring has sprung! No “plumber’s pun” intended. From heavy spring rains to leaky faucets and pipes after a long winter —water is almost always at the foundation of homeowners plumbing problems.
It’s the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) national Fix a Leak Week and we are going to share some tips to help cut down on the nearly 1 trillion gallons of water that are lost annually nationwide!
Are you ready to chase down leaks?
Have you ever taken a look at your water bill and wondered why in the world it was on the rise or higher than normal? The first course of action might be to hunt down where a water leak might be occurring. Fixing some of these easy-to-correct common leaks may save you almost 10 percent on your water bill!
The EPA shares: “The average household’s leaks can account for nearly 10,000 gallons of water wasted every year and ten percent of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day.”
When you start your leak investigation you may want to check these common leak sources:
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Work out toilet flappers
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Dripping faucets
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Leaking valves
Some other EPA tips for finding common leaks are:
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Take a look at your water usage during a colder month, such as January or February. If a family of four exceeds 12,000 gallons per month, there are serious leaks.
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Check your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter changes at all, you probably have a leak.
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Identify toilet leaks by placing a drop of food coloring in the toilet tank. If any color shows up in the bowl after 10 minutes, you have a leak. (Be sure to flush immediately after the experiment to avoid staining the tank.)
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Examine faucet gaskets and pipe fittings for any water on the outside of the pipe to check for surface leaks.
If your leak investigation uncovered some potential water loss and problems, contact us for help today!