Mark your calendars, Fix a Leak Week is back! This annual celebration, observed the third week of March, brings awareness to water waste caused by household leaks. Did you know that about 10% of homes have leaks that can waste 90 gallons of water or more per day? Don’t let that home be yours.
In the span of one year, household leaks can create nearly 1 trillion gallons of water waste nationwide. That’s enough water for 11 million homes! So, don’t ignore those leaks because they can worsen over time and drive up your water bill. The good news is, you can locate and repair household leaks with relative ease and low cost.
This year, Fix a Leak Week will run from March 20-26. But remember, fixing leaks and saving water can be done all year long. Now is the perfect time to start inspecting your home for leaks.
How to Start:
Toilets: Worn-out toilet flappers can cause some serious leaks. In fact, a leaking toilet flapper can waste around 1,000 gallons of water per day. To check if your toilet flapper needs to be replaced drop a small amount of food coloring in the toilet tank. After 10 minutes check the toilet bowl, color appearing in the toilet bowl indicates a leak. After checking, be sure to flush the toilet to avoid staining. This leak is an easy repair. Replacing a toilet flapper is inexpensive and the piece is available at most hardware stores.
Showerheads: Your showerhead can leak enough water to run a dishwasher 60 times! That’s right, a leaky showerhead can leak 10 drips per minute wasting more than 500 gallons per year. Use pipe tape to secure a strong connection between the showerhead and the pipe stem for a quick fix. However, if your shower is able to fill up a 1-gallon bucket in 20 seconds, it’s time for an upgrade. Replace the showerhead with a more efficient model.
Faucets: Over time, the washers and gaskets in your faucets wear out and cause leaks. Check for surface water on the pipes to see if your faucet has a leak. Leaky faucets can waste over 3,000 gallons of water per year at one drip per second. That’s enough water for 180 showers!
Outside: Don’t forget about the outside of your home! Check your garden hoses for leaks at the connection to the spigot. A leak like this can be fixed by replacing the hose washer or tightening the hose to the spigot with pipe tape or a wrench. If you have an in-ground irrigation system make sure to check for leaks or contact a licensed professional to inspect your system. Also, be sure to check your irrigation system each Spring for weather damage before use.
Any questions concerning a leak can be directed to our customer service department at 407-944-5000. There are also many simple tutorials online on how to fix leaks, the website below contains some videos for quick viewing. You can also contact a licensed plumber if you are not comfortable making the repairs yourself. For more information on Fix a Leak Week visit: www.epa.gov/watersense/fix-leak-week.
