5 Ways You Can Save Water
Check your toilets for leaks
Inspect your home for them regularly. Check hoses and pipes under sinks and behind appliances for any signs of leaks or drips. A small drip can waste up to 20 gallons of water per day, so it’s important to nip them in the bud as soon as possible.
A leaking toilet can waste up to 200 gallons of water a day! That’s a lot of wasted water and money down the drain. To check for leaks, put a few drops of food coloring into the tank and see if it shows up in the bowl within 15 minutes. If it does, you’ve got a leak and need to have it repaired as soon as possible.
Here are a few things you can do to check for leaks in your toilets:
- Listen for the sound of running water. A hissing or dripping sound could indicate that your toilet has a leak.
- Look at the toilet bowl. If the water level in the bowl is higher than normal, that could be a sign of a leak.
- Put a few drops of food coloring into the toilet tank. If color appears in the bowl around 15 minutes after the test, then you probably are leaking.
If you do find a leak, don’t panic!
DIY fixes you can try:
Adjust the float ball:
The float ball is what tells the fill valve when to turn off the flow of water into the tank. If the float ball is set too low, water will keep running into the tank and cause it to overflow. To adjust the float ball, simply turn the adjusting arm clockwise or counterclockwise until it is set at the correct level.
Replace the flapper:
The flapper is a rubber seal that covers the hole at the bottom of the tank where water drains out when you flush the toilet. Over time, flappers can become brittle and cracked, which causes them to leak. Replacing a faulty flapper is simple and only takes a few minutes. Just make sure to buy a replacement that is compatible with your specific toilet model!
Tighten up any loose nuts or bolts:
If any of the nuts or bolts around your toilet tank are loose, they may be causing your toilet to leak. Use an adjustable wrench to tighten them up until they are snug but not too tight – you don’t want to strip anything!
*If none of these fix leaks, you may need to replace your fill valve entirely. This is a relatively easy fix as well, but you may need to purchase a new fill valve specifically designed for your toilet model.
