Save Water – Stop Those Bathroom Leaks
If you’re looking to save water or just reduce your water bill then one of the first thing you can do yourself is to go around your home doing a quick water usage audit. Sure, changing your behavior is one way to control your water usage, but an even bigger savings may come in finding and fixing all those little drips and leaks around your bathroom that can end up costing you hundreds of dollars in water usage over the years.
The bathroom is the most likely room to find a majority of minor water leaks that are preventable. The bathroom almost always has the most water outlets and is one of the most heavily used rooms in any home. Here are some are few common leaks you may find and be able to fix in a bathroom:
Sink Faucet Drips: A sink faucet that leaks can be annoying, but most people don’t think much of it until they realize how much water they’re wasting each day. Try this: place a paper cup under the leaking 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. In most cases you can get to the old washers in a sink faucet by taking off the handles (a screwdriver may be required) or by twisting off the spout tip. Each bathroom faucet is a little different, so you may need to dig out the manual or take your best guess about how to replace the washers in your faucet.
Dripping or Leaking Shower/Tub Diverter: If you have a shower and tub combination in your bathroom then you probably have a shower diverter which allows you to divert the water from the tub faucet to the shower head. There are lots of different types of shower diverter valves and knobs, but they all essentially rely on a little rubber seal to block the water from the tub or shower faucet. These rubber seals can wear out and you’ll need to replace the entire shower diverter knob mechanism. Replacing that one piece will prevent water from running down the drain from your tub faucet when you’re taking a shower. This can lead to substantial financial savings!
Constantly Running Toilet: A toilet that seems to run intermittently from time to time is almost definitely wasting a lot of water on a regular basis. The easiest, and most common, fix for a toilet that runs from time to time is to replace the toilet flapper. This repair takes a little bit of coordination and some understanding of how a toilet works, but it isn’t too complex and often doesn’t require any special tools.
All you need to fix these leaks is a little time and a minimal amount of tools. That being said, you should probably only attempt repairs you feel comfortable trying. Fixing some of these minor leaks in your bathroom will not conserve water for the environment, but also save you money in your water bill.
