How Much Water Does a Leaky Faucet Waste?
Leaky faucets waste gallons of water every year, and this can be a costly mistake for both the environment and your wallet. Here are some facts about the quantity of water that is wasted daily and how to reduce the costs associated with such leaks.
While we focus mainly on average households, our tips can also apply to business who are hoping to cut expenses and go green.
When a homeowner has a leaky faucet, they are basically letting money go down the drain. Though the earth is covered by water, only 1% is usable, so conservation of water is vital to our survival.
To find out how much water a leaky faucet wastes, check this drip calculator.
How much water loss can a leaky faucet cause?
A slow drip can waste 7-10 gallons of water every day, adding up to over 3,600 gallons of water yearly. Such a simple leak can cost a homeowner approximately $20 each year. A bigger faucet leak can generate 30 to 100 gallons of wastewater daily.
The average costs of fast dripping faucets can reach $60 to $200 yearly. For instance, if every household in America had one leaky faucet dripping water at one drop per second, the country would waste roughly 928,000,000 gallons of water daily. The cost of such waste is staggering.
How to find leaky faucets
Homeowners should check for leaking faucets in the bathroom and kitchen on a regular basis. Additionally, checking outside faucets for leaks is just as important. A leaky faucet is usually very easy to spot visually, and if detected, it should be fixed immediately. However, it’s still possible that a leaky faucet can be difficult to spot.
One trick is to wrap a towel around a faucet or a plastic bag beneath the faucet to see if water accumulates throughout the day.
Fix leaky faucets immediately
The good news about having a leaky faucet is that fixing it is not a challenging task. If you have the time and the knowledge, fixing it by yourself can save you some money. Most times, worn rubber washers are the culprit of most leaks. In some cases, to fix a leaky faucet, you need to replace the worn valves, washer, O-rings, or the entire faucet. You can get the faucet repair kits or faucet repair parts at any online or home improvement store. The faucet repair kit is better to use because in most cases it comes with instructions on how to fix the faucet. Also, it may contain tools that are necessary during the repair process. In order to fix the leak you will have to turn off the water under the sink or at the main water shutoff valve. The point of failure is usually found under the handle. Yet, refer to the instructions that come with your faucet repair kit for exact details.
Conclusion
Repairing a leaky faucet is simple and inexpensive and can help save a homeowner some money as well as conserve water. With about 85% of the earth’s water coming from groundwater, reducing water consumption will help the environment. Ultimately, fixing a leaky faucet will reduce the cost associated with providing water, and will also reduce your water bill.
