Water BillsImagine this; you work hard all month conserving water in an effort to reduce your outrageous water bills, but no matter how hard you try you can’t seem to lower those bills. This is a very common situation; there are a lot of different problems that can waste water and cost you money. At Shiloh Water Systems, we have been providing our customers with high quality water treatment in Oregon. We are water system experts, and we have written this guide to help you find and resolve those underlying issues that can cost you money on your water bills.

 


A Leaking Toilet

One common cause of wasted water is a leaking toilet. A leaking toilet tank can leak hundreds of gallons of water into your toilet bowl every month. To check if your toilet is leaking, put a few drops of food coloring into your toilet tank, wait a few hours and see if it has moved to the toilet bowl. If it has, you can remedy the problem by replacing the seal or the chain that connects to and operates the handle.

In more extreme cases you may need to replace the entire toilet, which can be expensive. But over time, that wasted water will cost you and if you’re concerned at all about water conservation it’s a good idea to replace your toilet. Many homes also have, lets just say, less than desirable/outdated toilets. If your toilet is leaking its a great time to update.

 


A Leaking Faucet/Pipes

Another cause of unexpectedly high water bills is leaking pipes. In homes with crawlspaces, leaking pipes can be very difficult to find and fix, but you can use your water meter to help you find them. The little red triangle on the meter dial is a leak indicator. It spins whenever water is going through the meter the more water going through, the faster it spins. Check for leaks by using the shutoff valve and turning off anything inside and outside your home that uses water, then check the meter. If that little triangle moves, even barely, that means water is going through the meter, and you probably have a leak. Check all of your faucets and water-using appliances and the pipes connecting to them for leaks. Leaky faucets can easily be fixed by replacing the washers. If you discover that your pipes are leaking, you might want to call a professional plumber to repair or replace them.

 


Seasonal Water Over-Use

It’s not unusual for your water bill to sky-rocket in the summer. This happens for a number of reasons, but lawn maintenance is one of the worst offenders. Leaving your sprinklers on for just an hour can cause you to use over 400 gallons of water. If you use a hose to water, did you forget to go back out and turn it off? Simple things like forgetting to shut off your garden hose or sprinklers can actually cost you hundreds of dollars extra a month, so be mindful when taking care of your lawn. Double check to make sure that everything is properly turned off, and fix any leaks you may come across.

If you take the proper steps to conserve water and make sure that your home is leak-free, you can save hundreds of dollars a month on your water bills.