Did you know that the average household’s leaks account for more than 10,000 gallons of water wasted every year? That’s the amount of water needed to wash 270 loads of laundry! What a waste of resources!
In honor of Fix A Leak Week (March 16–22, 2015), Pearson would like to encourage you to take steps to chase down leaks in your home.
Here are some valuable tips from WaterSense, an EPA Partnership, to help save a precious resource – water!
Common types of leaks found in the home are worn toilet flappers, dripping faucets, and other leaking valves. These types of leaks are often easily correctable, requiring only a few tools and hardware that can pay for themselves in water savings.
To check for leaks in your home, you first need to determine whether you’re wasting water. Then identify the source of the leak.
- 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 15 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.
http://www.conserveh2o.org/how-to-videos-water-conservation has step-by-step instructions for identifying and fixing common leaks.
Save water and protect the environment by choosing WaterSense labeled products in your home, yard, and business and taking simple steps to save water each day. Learn more at www.epa.gov/WaterSense
