Is You Water Bill Expensive – Time to Check for Leaks

By
ITC1
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Sydney Water studies show that at any one time 15% of their customers have a water leak in their home that is wasting water and costing them money.

Charles Agnew, Program Leader at Sydney Water said “you can lose a few litres of water an hour from a slow dripping tap and thousands of litres a day from a constantly running toilet. If the leak is from a hot water pipe it will also cost you money in energy costs. So that means it’s important to find the leak fast and repair it straight away.

“We estimate that enough water to fill eleven Olympic swimming pools is lost through household water leaks each day.

Last year ITC’s water bill increased significantly.  We finally realised that the back toilet was running constantly. We got a local plumber into fix it and our water bill decreased. It was not an expensive fix and we saved money.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that new homes don’t have water issues. Leaking water pipes can occur almost anywhere – from within the newest homes, to the smallest gardens and the tallest buildings.

If the leak is from a hot water pipe or a pumped water supply, you’ll also be facing a significant energy cost.

Leaks in taps, toilets and pipe fittings normally can be seen or heard easily or you can place a few sheets of dry toilet paper at the back of the toilet bowl above the water line and if the paper gets wet, that’s an indicator that your toilet cistern is leaking.

Concealed leaks are also simple to determine:

  • Switch off all of your taps and water-using appliances in your home.
  • Check the reading on your water meter and write down the numbers. Your meter is usually found at the front of your property.
  • Make sure you don’t use any water for the next 30-60 minutes.
  • Then check the water meter reading again.
  • If the meter numbers have rolled through to a higher amount, that’s a pretty sure indication that you have a water leak in your house. The greater the change, the bigger the leak!

If you have an in–ground irrigation system, check it each spring to make sure it wasn’t damaged over winter.

Check your garden hose for leaks at its connection to the tap. If it leaks while you run your hose, replace the nylon or rubber hose washer and ensure a tight connection to the tap using pipe tape and a spanner.

If you need a local plumber we have your back.  On the Job Plumbing

On the Job Plumbing

 

So check for leaks, it could save you money.

 

Do you have a local issue you would like help with? ITC is here to help just email us at [email protected]