Leaks Can Run, But They Can’t Hide!

The average American home can waste, on average, more than 10,000 gallons of water every year due to running toilets, dripping faucets and other household leaks! Nationwide, more than 1 trillion gallons of water leak from U.S. homes each year. Fix a Leak Week, (March 18 – 24) is a perfect time to check your plumbing fixtures and irrigation systems

Leaks: Inspect and Detect to Deflect It may be hard to believe, but the average American home can waste, on average, more than 10,000 gallons of water every year due to running toilets, dripping faucets and other household leaks!

Common types of leaks found in the home include:
• Worn toilet flappers
• Dripping faucets and other leaking valves.

All are easily corrected:
• To find out if you have a toilet leak, place a drop of food coloring in the toilet tank. If the color shows up in the bowl within 15 minutes without flushing, you have a leak. Make sure to flush immediately after this experiment to avoid staining the tank.
• If your toilet is leaking, the cause is often  an old, faulty toilet flapper. Over time, this inexpensive rubber part decays or minerals build up on it. Replacing the flapper is a relatively easy, inexpensive do-it-yourself project. It will pay for itself in no time.*
• Leaky faucets can be fixed by checking faucet washers and gaskets for wear and replacing them if necessary.
• Most leaky showerheads can be fixed by ensuring a tight connection using pipe tape and a wrench. If you are replacing a showerhead, look for one that has earned the WaterSense label.