Don’t flush your money away
Are you literally flushing money down the toilet?
On average, toilets make up approximately 30% of a home’s water usage. And that doesn’t count any toilets that are leaking or running on. While you’re reading this, about 20% of all toilets in homes are silently leaking, costing homeowners money. Do you have a toilet that runs on, flushes on its own or doesn’t flush well? Do you have to jiggle the handle to make the noise stop? If so, you could be flushing away more money each month than it would cost to fix it.
What can you do? Regularly check your toilet’s components in the tank for signs of wear. To check for silent leaks, drop a toilet dye tablet or a few drops of food colouring in your toilet tank – do not flush. Come back and check in about 30 minutes. If you see colour in your toilet bowl, you will need to replace your flapper and/or adjust or replace your fill valve. If you have to jiggle the handle to get your toilet to stop filling, try adjusting the chain or the float ball.
On average, the flapper and the fill valve need replacing every few years due to age and chlorinated water which dries them out. When it comes time to replace worn out flappers, be sure to purchase the same name brand replacement flapper for your brand of toilet. Installing those ‘universal’ flappers could actually add up to 30% more water on your bill as they truly are not ‘one size fits all’.
Hiring a licensed plumber to take care of your toilet ensures that it will always function as it should and will save you money in the long run.
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