Are you concerned about the high cost of your water bills? Perhaps your water bill has suddenly increased from month to month, and you’re not sure why. Several issues can cause your water bill to suddenly spike or increase above normal. In this article, we’ll look at the most common issues regarding sudden spikes in your water bill and what you can do to overcome them.
Dripping Faucets, Showerheads, and Hose Bibs
Many people view a dripping faucet or showerhead as a minor annoyance. They are certainly annoying, but the truth is that a dripping plumbing fixture can waste more water than you think. If you have a faucet or other fixture that only drips once every six seconds or so, it will usually waste around one gallon of water per day. This type of slow drip won’t cause the price of your water bill to increase much, but a fixture that drips every second or two can. In this case, the dripping fixture could waste as much as five to seven gallons of water per day or around 150 to 210 gallons a month. That’s about the equivalent of nearly eight additional showers each month.
If you have multiple older fixtures in your home that constantly drip, your water bill could easily be $30-50 higher than it should be. This may not sound like a huge amount, but these numbers add up over time. Fixing a dripping faucet or other plumbing fixture is something a plumber can do fairly quickly and easily. As a result, you’ll end up paying more due to all the water the dripping fixture wastes compared to what you’d pay just to have the fixture repaired.
Running Toilets
A toilet that constantly runs or even just runs occasionally when it hasn’t been recently used is a much bigger issue. If the toilet runs constantly without shutting off, it can easily waste over 100 gallons of water every hour. A running toilet usually uses around three gallons of water per minute, which means it could waste tens of thousands of gallons in a single month. Even if the toilet just has an issue where water slowly leaks out of the tank into the bowl, it will still typically waste anywhere from 30 to 250 gallons per day. A medium or fast leak can quickly add up and lead to your water bill increasing by close to $100 or even more.
If you have a toilet that runs continuously, the fill valve might not be working properly, or the float could be misaligned. The float is designed to close the fill valve once the tank fills to a certain level. If it isn’t aligned properly, the fill valve will not close when it should. In either case, when the fill valve doesn’t close, water will continue pouring into the tank and continually flow into the bowl through the overflow tube. When the bowl gets too full, the toilet will automatically flush. You might not even realize there’s a problem at first since the toilet isn’t overflowing.
Another possibility is that the chain that connects the handle to the flapper is caught, kinked, or just too short to do its job properly. These issues can prevent the flapper from fully closing, leading to at least a trickle of water continually flowing into the bowl. If you often have to jiggle the handle to get your toilet to stop running, you can be fairly certain there is some issue with the chain.
Toilet flappers are made of rubber and slowly degrade over time. At some point, the flapper can degrade to the point where it can no longer create a tight seal. This again results in a slow leak that will result in the toilet frequently running to refill the tank. You can check to see if the reason that your toilet is running is due to a leaky flapper by putting some food coloring in the tank and then waiting a few minutes to see if the water in the bowl is now colored. If the water is colored, you might need to have the flapper replaced.
Leaky Pipes
If you find that your water bill has suddenly increased and you’re not experiencing issues with a dripping fixture or running toilet, you may have a leak somewhere in your plumbing system. Even a tiny pinhole leak will cause your monthly usage to increase, but a larger leak can cause it to skyrocket. The easiest way to determine if your plumbing is leaking is to check your water meter. If the dial on the meter is spinning when no water is being used, the leak is likely fairly substantial.
Another useful way to help identify smaller leaks is to check the reading on the meter before leaving for work and then to check it again when you get home. If your house was unoccupied all day and you didn’t have anything like a sprinkler system run automatically, the two readings should be the same. If the numbers have gone up when you check the second time, you can also be certain your plumbing is leaking.
Old, Inefficient Plumbing Fixtures
If your home has old faucets, toilets, or showerheads, they may also be contributing to your water bill being higher. In 1992, the U.S. Department of Energy began mandating low-flow plumbing fixtures in all newly constructed homes. Low-flow toilets and faucets typically use around half as much water as old “high-flow” fixtures.
You might not think that replacing your old fixtures with new low-flow models will make a big difference, but it really will. In fact, estimates show that you can usually reduce your yearly water consumption by anywhere from 10,000 to 35,000 gallons just by replacing your old toilets with low-flow models. That means you will usually be able to cut your water bills at least in half since flushing toilets typically accounts for the highest percentage of water usage in a home.
High Water Pressure
Even if you have low-flow fixtures in your home, they can still use much more water than they should if your water pressure is too high. Ideally, the water pressure in a home should be around 45 to 55 psi. If the pressure is higher, it leads to more gallons flowing out of your faucets and showers per minute, resulting in increased waste. If your water pressure is too high, it usually means that your pressure-regulating valve isn’t properly set or not working correctly. If you have an older home, there may not even be a pressure-regulating valve on your main water line. The reason that this type of valve is necessary is that the pressure in most municipal water systems is far higher than what you want the pressure inside the home to be.
If you’re dealing with high water bills or any other plumbing issues, you can turn to First Choice Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning for help. We have more than 20 years of experience helping residents in Metuchen and the surrounding areas with their plumbing needs. As one of the area’s leading HVAC services, you can also count on us for expert air conditioning and heating services. Whether you need a plumbing inspection, plumbing repairs, or any other service, contact our team today.
