If you’ve noticed your water bill rising, it might not be due to increasing rates. In fact, if you take a closer look around your house, you just might find the culprit closer than you think. There are a lot of different ways your home’s plumbing fixtures and system could be causing your water bill to be unnecessarily high, but here are six of the most common causes.
Running toilets are probably one of the biggest causes of unexpected water bill increases. The smallest leak or issue could cause toilets to run constantly, and it may not be noticeable until you start to investigate. However, it’s an issue that you want to get fixed right away.
Over time, even the best fixtures are going to wear out. Usually, it’s an issue with a washer going bad or some kind of hard water buildup that’s creating a leak or preventing the appropriate flow. In any case, each of those little drips can add up quickly, so it’s something that you will want to resolve right away.
This can be a hard habit to break, especially if you’ve got kids in the house. However, for every second that water is running, it’s costing money. Turn it off while you’re brushing your teeth, in between rinsing dishes, and so forth. And as a bonus, install low-flow faucets and showerheads so that even if the water is running, it’s not used a lot.
This one is much harder to detect because it’s usually somewhere out of sight. Even if it’s not behind a wall, it could be under the floors or in the basement where you don’t spend a lot of time. If you do notice a spike in your water bill and you can’t find another cause, consider having a plumber come inspect the pipes. That will also allow you to fix small leaks before they create bigger problems.
If you’ve got a sprinkler system installed, you might have a leak in the lines somewhere that’s causing too much water to be used outdoors. And if it’s only happening in one area while the sprinklers are on, you might not even notice it. Call an irrigation expert if you think this is the culprit.
In addition to upgrading to eco-friendly fixtures, you can also upgrade to newer fixtures as a way to save water. If your home has older toilets, sinks, and faucets, it might be a good idea to update them all so that everything is new and working as efficiently as possible.
Look for other ways you can save money on your water bill around the house. If you find issues that require professional attention, contact Elk Grove Sewer & Plumbing.
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