Leaks Can Run, but They Can't Hide
Are you ready to chase down leaks? Household leaks can
waste more than 1 trillion gallons of water annually nationwide, so each
year we hunt down the drips during Fix a Leak Week. Mark your calendars
for EPA's tenth annual Fix a Leak Week, March 19 through 25, 2018—but
remember that you can find and fix leaks inside and outside your home to
save valuable water and money all year long.
Checking for Leaks
The
average household's leaks can account for more than 10,000 gallons of
water wasted every year and ten percent of homes have leaks that waste
90 gallons or more per day. Common types of leaks found in the home are
worn toilet flappers, dripping faucets, and other leaking valves. These
types of leaks are often easy to fix, requiring only a few tools and
hardware that can pay for themselves in water savings. Fixing easily
corrected household water leaks can save homeowners about 10 percent on
their water bills.
To check for leaks in your home, you first need to
determine whether you're wasting water and then identify the source of
the leak. Here are some tips for finding leaks:
- Take a look at your water usage during a colder month, such as January or February. If a family of four exceeds 12,000 gallons per month, there are serious leaks.
- Check your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter changes at all, you probably have a leak.
- Identify toilet leaks by placing a drop of food coloring in the toilet tank. If any color shows up in the bowl after 10 minutes, you have a leak. (Be sure to flush immediately after the experiment to avoid staining the tank.)
- Examine faucet gaskets and pipe fittings for any water on the outside of the pipe to check for surface leaks.
- WaterSense partners have guides and videos that you might find helpful in finding and fixing leaks.
- Arizona Municipal Water User's Association has a great Smart Home Water Guide.
- Regional Water Providers Consortium in Oregon has a video on detecting household leaks.
- Thornton Water in Colorado provides tips and tricks to find hidden water waste indoors and outdoors.
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