Leaking Toilets
Have you been flushing your money down the toilet lately? Well, you may not think you are, but thousands of people are wasting water and money daily by allowing an old toilet to leak, and chances are they don’t even know about it! Most toilet leaks are completely silent, but if you have been noticing an unusually high water bill lately, you need to check for leaks! Wasting water wastes money and damages our planet, and you must do your part to stop both of these from happening.
Two Types of Leaks
Toilets most commonly have one of two types of leaks. To test for the first leak you should:
- Add flood coloring to the water in the toilet tank
- Wait 10 to 20 minuets
- Check the toilet bowl for colored water
If you find that the water in the bowl is not the same color as the dye you placed in the tank, you have a leak. These kinds of leaks are the most common and they are caused by the flush valve system. When this part of the toilet isn’t working properly, extra water leaks into the bowl and is wasted down the drain.
The second most common toilet leak is usually more noticeable, although it can also be subtle. Have you ever heard someone refer to their toilet as a “running toilet?” What they are referring to is the sound of water flowing through the toilet when it is not in use. What is happening is that the part of the toilet that plugs the drain in between uses isn’t forming a tight block. As the toilet fills up with water, the water is pouring down the drain. This is a problem that only gets worse with time. The longer you wait the more water you will waste. “Running toilets” can waste 2 gallons a minute if you aren’t fast to repair the issue, and any toilet leak can waste 300 gallons a day if you aren’t careful!
Why does wasting water matter?
Every gallon of water you waste adds on cost to your monthly water bill. This could range from a few bucks to hundreds of dollars if the problem is allowed to get out of hand. However, extra cost to you isn’t the only problem caused by wasted water. Wasting water also is bad for the planet. Water that comes to your home is treated in plants that run on massive amounts of energy. The more water we waste the more power we waste, and that is what contributes to global warming. Wasting water also depletes our water supply. Water is a very abundant resource but clean water is not. Wasting water is what leads to water shortages and rations during the summer months, and unless we do something now, we may one day have to deal with droughts.
It is part of your responsibility as a homeowner to do your part to limit your homes impact upon our planet. By fixing toilet leaks and conserving water in any way that you can think of, you save money and you help the planet at the same time. It is a win-win situation that not nearly enough people take advantage of.
