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Water is a very important utility in every home or business. However, water wastage can cause utility bills to rise. That’s why you should use water wisely. Understand what is causing the water bills to rise. Compare utility rates via Utility Bidder. Here are the top reasons why your water bills are so high.
Water bills are a necessary expense for homeowners, but what happens when those costs start to rise unexpectedly? Many factors can contribute to an increase in water bills, including leaks, outdated appliances, and inefficient plumbing systems. If you’re experiencing rising water bills without any obvious reason, it may be time to call in the professionals at Hy-Pro Plumbing & Drain Cleaning.
Leaking Toilets
Toilets account for a greater percentage of indoor water usage for most homeowners. A leaky toilet can waste huge amounts of water and add thousands of dollars to your water bill. To minimize the wastage, consider inspecting your toilet for potential leaks.
Ideally, there are two ways of doing this: sound checks and dye tests. When it comes to the sound check, you simply need to listen to the sound in your toilet. If you hear some hiss-like noise, check the seals or tank flapper. For the dye test, put a few drops of coloring into your toilet and wait for about twenty minutes. Then, check the bowl for dye. If there’s dye inside it, then it means there’s a leak in the water tank.
These leaks are often caused by faulty flappers. But the good news is that they’re relatively easy to fix. All you need is to visit your nearest hardware store and carry out some simple fixing.
Leaking Faucets, Fixtures
Leaky faucets can significantly increase your water bills. A leaky faucet can waste about twenty gallons of water in a day. Luckily, this issue can be identified by performing a simple visual check on the showerheads, faucets, as well as, other fixtures.
The presence of faulty rubber washers often results in serious leaks. To fix this, simply unscrew the faucet handle and remove the faulty washer. Once you’ve done that, go ahead and replace it with a new one.
Leaking Machines
If your washing machine is leaking, it will waste water. The same applies to a leaking dishwasher. Check underneath these appliances. Ensure that they are functioning optimally. Seal any leaking appliance. Alternatively, consider replacing it with a new one.
Preferably, purchase an energy-efficient appliance. Choose an energy-star-rated dishwasher. These dishwashers can save you up to 50 percent on water bills. Thus, don’t stick with the older dishwasher. Replace it to save money on water bills.
Irrigation Leaks
Carrying out irrigation at home can be exciting and highly rewarding. Irrigation ensures that you have food and animal feeds throughout the year. It also ensures that your lawn is properly watered. However, you need to have efficient irrigation machines
A leaking irrigation machine will waste a lot of water and make the water bills rise. Check for cracks in your irrigation system. Get in touch with an expert to carry out a water audit in your home. Filing these leaks will save you a substantial amount of money in terms of water bills.
Be sure to hire a professional plumber to fix these leaks. Replace faulty irrigation lines. Check to ensure that the pipes are functioning optimally.
Underground Pipes
A loose joint in the underground pipes can waste a lot of water. There are different reasons why these pipes may be leaking. One of them is a loose joint. Also, cracks due to rusting can cause the pipes to leak.
Pipe age, root tree intrusion., as well as seismic activity can cause the pipes to leak. Check to ensure that there is no leak in the underground pipes. Visual inspection is one of the best ways to establish a leaking pipe.
Reach out to a professional plumber to fix these issues. Purchase the right pipes. Choose durable pipes. If you can, go for corrosion-resistant pipes. Ensure that the joints are fixed properly. Make sure that there are no trees around the pipes.
Outdated Toilets
Old plumbing fixtures can waste a lot of water. That’s why you should carry out frequent efficiency improvements. Choose water-saving toilets. Go for modern, water-efficient showerheads. Replace old toilet fixtures with new ones.
Consider checking the faucets and toilets of your home to ensure that they are functioning optimally. Fixing these issues will make your home water efficient.
Seasonal Changes
You don’t use the same amount of water each season, right? Well, seasonal changes can be one of the main reasons why your water bills are going up. In particular, most people tend to pay higher water bills during the summer than in the winter. These water bills are high for various reasons. Common ones include:
- Family members tend to be more active during the summer. Consequently, they sweat more. That’s why they take frequent showers. More showers mean using more water. This increases the water bills.
- During the summer, you will have to water the lawn and other plants regularly. This means using more water and incurring higher water bills.
- It’s during the summer that your kids are home. During the summer break, kids are very active. They take more showers, use more water, etc.
- It can be very hot during the summer. To make the spaces comfortable, the air condenser needs to be water-cooled. This leads to higher water bills.
- Water evaporates from the pools. As a result, you should fill the pools from time to time. Consequently, you pay higher water bills.
Freezing pipes can burst during the winter. That’s why you should consider running water through these pipes from time to time.
More Guests
If you have frequent guests in the house, your bills may rise. Remember, more guests mean taking more showers. Most friends will visit you during the summer. Teach your friends and guest the importance of taking shorter showers.
Water-Intensive Machine
If you bring a new water-intensive-based appliance or equipment into your home, the bills are bound to rise. Equipment units like pools and sprinkler systems can increase your water bills. Additionally, water-intensive equipment units like washing machines and freezers can make the bills go up. As a homeowner, be sure to purchase water-efficient machines to bring down these costs.
The Bottom-Line
Effective use of water will reduce water bills at home. As a homeowner, it’s important to minimize water wastage. Understand why you are paying huge water bills. Identify areas you are wasting water. The above are key areas where you are wasting water.
