According to statistics from the EPA, leaks in the average American home can waste up to a staggering 10,000 gallons of water a year, or enough to do some 270 loads of laundry. Leaks in 10% of homes will actually reach up to a whopping 90 gallons a day. While there are certainly bad habits that people can change to save water, hiring local plumbers to repair leaks and make sure that none is wasted because of leaky pipes and other problems is the best way to reduce wasted water. They will be able to quickly diagnose specific issues and make speedy repairs. As a result, they are a great resource for homeowners who want to drastically reduce the amount of water they waste.
Though every home is different, there are a handful of common problems that cause water to be wasted. Beyond rusted pipes with holes in them, leaks can come from worn out toilet flappers, old faucets, and showerheads. Generally, those problems are easy to fix, and you might even be able to do all of the work on your own with a small weekend DIY project. However, if you have either no experience or no free time, the hiring a plumbing expert is the best way to make sure leaks are patched up and you don’t waste excessive water.
Most leaks take place in the home, but if you have an irrigation system, even a small one, you should check that from time to time as well. An irrigation system with a leak that is just 1/32nd of an inch in diameter could waste some 6,300 gallons a month. It might be hard to check for those leaks, and looking outside the home might be silly. But if you use irrigation to keep the grass green and your flowers bright, checking for leaks is a must.
Plugging up leaks and being sure not to waste water is great for helping the environment and limiting your overall impact. But doing so might also help you save money on your monthly utility bills. The EPA suggests that fixing easily corrected leaks could help you save about 10%. So though there might be an initial investment required for hiring local plumbers, you could eventually cover that cost with monthly savings.
Leaks are a problem that most every homeowner will have to deal with at one point or another, and while they might be annoying because the sound of a drip keeps you up at night, they can also be taxing on both the environment and your wallet. Because of that, when you find a leak, either trying to fix it yourself or contacting local plumbers is always a smart choice. This is a great source for more.