As far as utilities go, water usage is easily accounted for. Generally, you always pay more or less the same amount, with normal variations to consider, such as that summer months that you had to take more baths to keep cool or use the sprinklers to water your lawn more frequently. If you live alone or are particularly conscious about your water usage, you may not even be paying for more than your minimum bill, which varies from state to state. However, it is usually the equivalent of using between 0 and 2 CCFs or 1496.1 gallons of water in a month.
Unless you’ve been running a carwash business in your garage, or happen to own a big swimming pool that you drained and replaced with new water, you’re probably not expecting a surge in your water bill. In it does happen, however, your surge is probably caused by a leak. Most of the time, leaks are easily detected. Aside from an unusually high water bill, the most common sources of leaks are the ones readily found in your home, because they often encounter the most friction.
If you are experiencing a sudden surge in your monthly water bill, here are four likely culprits:
Faucet Leaks
With daily use, even the most high-quality faucets wear out and get leaky. Usually, this is caused by an expired washer, which is an easy fix for most people. It can be easy to write off a small drip and not address it immediately. However, if left long enough, the small drips will add up, and before long, you have an unusually higher water bill. To avoid this, replace the offending washer as soon as possible before it gets progressively worse.
Toilet Leaks
Another common culprit behind high water bills are toilets that continue to run long after the flush cycle is complete. Depending on how much you flush your toilets, you could be wasting more than 200 gallons of water a day. Most often, this is caused by a faulty flapper, which is a rubber seal that opens up the tank when you use the flush lever, but should seal the tank shut as it drops back into place when you finish flushing. This sealed environment allows the fill valve to refill the tank with water.
If the flapper is malfunctioning, it is usually because the rubber has hardened and is no longer flexible enough to provide a good seal. This essentially means that there is nothing stopping the water from being released to the toilet as fast as the fill valve can put water back in. This is usually solved rather easily by replacing the erring flapper with a new one.
Malfunctioning Water Meter
Sometimes, your water meter could be broken. If you are using a traditional mechanical insert meter, then there’s a high chance that the impeller is broken. An impeller is a rotating device that turns as water flows through it. These rotations are then used to measure your usage.
Sometimes, this moving part can get broken, which will cause an unusual spike in your bill. A broken impeller is evident because its speed of rotation can be seen on your meter’s face. You can diagnose this by turning off all faucets and water taps in your home. If the impeller is still turning around at a fast pace, then it could be broken.
Underground Leaks
Underground plumbing issues are rather common, but may not be evident at first. Often, the only sign that could tip-off a homeowner would be an unusually high water bill. However, if you see some random wet spots or puddles in your lawn even if you are certain that there had been no rain recently, then this could be a sign of an underground plumbing issue. In this case, it’s best to call a professional plumber to assess the damage and fit it if necessary.
Conclusion
Leaks not only cause higher water bills, but they are also incredibly wasteful and are not good for your water supply in the long run. If you see a leak or suspect one, it’s best to address them immediately. While most leaks are easily fixed if you have the right tools and knowledge, it’s also good to contact a reputable plumber near you to make sure that the problem will not resurface anytime soon.
Excellent plumbers in Charlotte, NC are ready to fix whatever plumbing issue ails your water lines. You can also visit our website for more plumbing tips and tricks to help you determine plumbing problems and how to overcome them!
