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Spring has begun and, in many places, it is time to start watering the lawn. You may be wondering, "How can I conserve water?" Before setting up the sprinkler system, it is a great time to check if there are any water leaks at your house. Water conservation is very important for the environment as well as your budget.
The first step to checking your house for leaks is to turn off all water-using appliances. Next, check your water meter. If it moves even slightly, you have a leak. The first place to check are all the toilets in the house. These are the easiest repairs and the most likely source of a leak. Two other fixtures in the bathroom include the faucet and the bath or shower.
Another place to check, especially if there was one or more hard freezes in your area, are the water spigots attached to your house for watering the lawn. Sometimes, people turn off the water only part way on these outdoor faucets thinking that the water is all the way off. Even a small drip can cause the pipes to burst. This can lead to costly repairs.
A third place to check is under the sink in the bathroom, in the kitchen, and any other sink with a cabinet. If you took a trip that lasted a few days or more and turned down the thermostat in the house while you were away, the temperature may have become cold enough under the cabinet to damage the pipes. Next time you go on a vacation or short trip in the winter, make sure to open the sink cabinet doors that hide the pipes so they will stay warm.
Other culprits in the house include the washing machine, dishwasher, and behind the refrigerator. Most people do not look behind these bulky appliances very often because it is a difficult task. If you are looking behind your washer, this would be a great time to check the dryer for accumulated lint on the floor and in the ventilation hoses. Vacuuming the dryer hose out if lint is found will increase the performance and longevity of your dryer.
If the leak evades you, it may be worth your time and money in the long run to hire a plumber. Once all the leaks in your house are repaired, it will be time to turn on the sprinkler system and check it for leaks as well. Hopefully, you'll find that the sprinkler system made it through the winter.
Check your house for leaks again in the fall in the same manner. Make sure that your irrigation system is thoroughly blown out and all outdoor taps have been shut off. Remember to remove the hose! Have a great summer!
Thank you for the comment and the compliments. Even if you are in an apartment and pay for the water bill, these tips might keep your water bill lower, assuming your landlord promptly fixes them.
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Thank you for the comment. It doesn't surprise me that dirty dryers would be a source of many fires since lint is highly combustible.
Our water heater was leaking once. We didn't discover it until it had done a lot of damage and wasted a lot of water. It's a good idea to follow these tips.
Thank you for the comment. I hope your repairs were not too expensive. Water heaters are a big source of problems. Where I live, there is a lot of sediment in the water. We are reminded to flush the water heater out periodically to increase longevity and performance.
Nice article I used to be a plumber, before I became a salesman, and now an internet marketer, I can tell you a little trick for finding leaks, don't just turn off all the faucets, turn off everything that makes any noise at all, if it is quiet you will be able to hear the water running, and this will help in located the source. Also to make it a bit more clear for people, on the water meter there is a small triangular dial, this is what Rebecca is referring to about moving at all, plumbers refer to that little dial as a leak detector, very handy to know. One other small trick is to use paper towels to wipe down all the pipes under a sink, then use fresh paper towels and lay them on the bottom of the Cabernet, if there is a leak, the paper towel will show all.
Thanks Ty! That is very useful information and a great conversation. On my meter, there is a little red * on it. Since I am not an expert, I didn't know how to explain its use very well, except that it indicates low water flow. I also wasn't sure if all meters had them. From what you are saying, most have one even if they appear different.
Yeah pretty much all water meters have that dial in it, OH something else people might find interesting and very few people know is that if you have an outside hose spigot that's leaking, and you have it repaired, if you ask the plumber to specifically put down that he fixed an outside spigot, you can take the receipt, to the water department and most times they will adjust your water bill, the reason they will do this is because the sewage is included in the water bill and since you didn't use any sewage for the outside spigot they will reduce the bill. Obviously not all water departments will do this but I have lived and worked all over the US and many are happy to make the adjustment for you...hope this helps
I never thought about taking the receipt for the new spigot to the water company to get reimbursed for sewer charges. Thanks for the new insights. I learn something new everyday!
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