Leaking pipes – Dripping Faucets

Leaking pipes – Dripping Faucets

 

small hole in a pipe (1.5mm) wastes 280,000 liters of water in a three-month period. Continual leaking from this size hole could cost you about $365

Dripping Faucets

 Do you have a slow dripping faucet you’ve been ignoring? A minor leak may not seem like a big deal, but over time it can add up in a big way!

Just the Facts on Leaks

 The average home with leaky faucets loses about 10,000 gallons of water a year – enough to fill a backyard swimming pool! 10% of homes waste 90 gallons of water per day.   The most common types of leaks are leaky toilet flappers, dripping faucets and leaking valves.

Fix Leaks Save Money

DO I HAVE A LEAK?

Find your water meter and use it to check for leaks.  It is usually located in the parking strip or the sidewalk, usually in a concrete vault.  Remove the access cover to the vault and lift the lid to read the dials. Make sure that all water-using appliances are off, and don’t forget about the automatic ice-maker if you have one.  Turn off ALL water, inside and out. If your meter has a ONE dial (the most common type in Burbank), it should not be moving.  If it is, water is passing through the meter and there is a leak somewhere on your property. If it is not moving or if you have a different type of meter, note the meter reading and check it again after an hour.  If the reading has increased, you have leaks and repairs should be made.  Fixing leaks saves YOU money.

FINDING  LEAKS

Most high water bills are caused by leaks in toilets.  These leaks can waste up to two hundred gallons of water a day.  You can see and hear some leaks, but many are silent and hard to find.  A bad flapper valve, flapper valve seat, a bad ballcock valve, an improperly positioned float arm, or a defective overflow tube can cause them.

A dripping faucet can waste 20 gallons of water a day.  Faucet leaks are easy to detect.  If it drips, or worse, continues to run after you shut it off, it needs to be fixed.  If the dripping water is hot, it is also wasting energy you use to heat the water.

Water dripping or running from the shower head when the shower is turned firmly off, is usually caused by a bad washer or seat which needs replacing.  Also, check for leaks from the tub faucet when a tub shower is on.  This leak will defeat the purpose of a low flow shower head because the water you save with a low flow shower is lost from the tub faucet.

	SIZE OF LEAK	WATER WASTED IN THREE MONTHS
	1/32” drip	18,500 gallons
	1/16” trickle	74,000 gallons
	1/8” stream	296,500 gallons
	1/4” stream	1,181,000 gallons

 

Problems with plumbing fixtures may be due to old age and corrosion or wear and tear.  Replacement or repair parts can be purchased at a local hardware store or plumbing supply store.  You can make the repairs yourself or consult a plumber.

The Cost of Water Waste

LEAKING TOILETS

High volume water leaks often come from toilets. They are hard to detect and are usually caused by worn or misaligned parts. A toilet that continues to run after flushing could be wasting 20-40 litres per hour -that’s 175,000 to 350,000 liters per year, enough water to fill a swimming pool. Leaks can cost you up to $355 per year.

FINDING A TOILET LEAK

To check for a toilet leak, use a dye tablet or food coloring. Carefully remove the toilet tank lid. Place a dye tabletop some food colouring in the tank. Wait about 15 minutes without flushing. After 15 minutes check the water in your toilet bowl. If the water is coloured, you’ve got a leak. Toilet repairs may require the assistance of a plumber. To get a dye tablet,

WATER SAVING TOILETS

For additional water and dollar savings replace your water guzzling toilet(s) with a 6-litre or less model. A family of four can save up to 80,000 liters of water a year.

FAUCETS & SHOWER HEADS

Leaking faucets and shower heads are also big water wasters but they are easier to detect than toilet leaks. Worn washers or seats are the most likely cause of leaks in these fixtures. Repairing leaky faucets is usually a straightforward and inexpensive job, but well worthwhile because a little drip can waste lots of water and dollars.

A LITTLE DRIP CAN MEAN A LOT!

An intermittent drip from your faucet or shower head can waste more than 35,000 liters of water or (35 cubic meters) a year, costing up to $45. This amount of wasted water would fill a bathtub 184 times! The costs can add up quickly! Remember if dripping water is hot water your energy dollars are also going down the drain!

LEAKING PIPES

A leaking service line or pipe in your home can add up to serious water waste. A small hole in a pipe (1.5 mm) wastes 280,000 liters of water in a three-month period. Continual leaking from this size hole could cost you about $365 in that three month time period. This is enough water to do about 900 loads of laundry!

WATER SYSTEM LEAKS

Whether you use an in-ground system or a single oscillating head, check it carefully for leaks. The average garden hose delivers 27 liters of water a minute, so a split in the hose or a poor coupling could be wasting large amounts of water. Make sure the outdoor faucet is turned off after each use, even small drips add up to big waste. Use garden water as wisely as possible. Consider using drip irrigation, and use a watering can wherever possible. A leak in your in-ground system is less noticeable than one in a hose, and can waste even greater amounts of water. If you think you’re in- ground system may have a leak, check for wet patches in your lawn that do not dry. Contact your irrigation Contractor for a system check-up.

AVOID OVER-WATERING

In-ground sprinkler systems are convenient and if properly installed and maintained they can  provide efficient irrigation. Sprinkler systems do use a lot of water. Most spray or rotor sprinkler heads use between 7 and 11 liters of water per minute, per head. These systems should operate for a maximum of 10 minutes – twice a week – on permitted watering days. A single oscillating head uses 27 liters a minute. Watering your lawn for an hour uses about the same amount of water as 5 dishwasher loads. If you run your sprinkler for 5 hours a week the cost is about $45 per month.