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The plumbing system is a vital part of any Rhome, TX home. It ensures that water is supplied from the utility provider into your home, and the wastes and wastewater are driven from your home into the sewer system. Hence, homeowners must seek plumbing services in maintenance and routine inspections to ensure that the plumbing system remains in top condition. However, plumbing issues might result in high water bills at the end of the month.

Because water is one of the major utilities within any borough or city, it is a huge concern for the renters, homeowners, and commercial property owners. A high-water bill at the end of the month is a huge cause for concern because it shows a water wastage within the plumbing system. The EPA estimates that the average home leaks account for about 10,000 gallons of water wasted yearly.

Further, their estimates indicate that about 10% of homes in which 90 gallons of water are wasted through leaks every day. Whenever the water bills you get at the end of the month are higher than you are used to, you must enlist the help of a plumbing service provider. These professionals are equipped with inspection cameras and leakage detectors, which can promptly diagnose and fix the leakage. Having that in mind, there are many leaks and common reasons why the water utility bills at your Home, TX home might be high. Below are some of them and how a plumbing service provider can help.

Reasons Why You Might Have a Huge Water Bill

Running or Leaky Toilets

The traditional toilets account for 31% of your indoor water use in most average homes within the US. Hence, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that there are many toilet leaks. Unfortunately, a leaky and running toilet might waste a staggering 6,000 gallons/month of water, not to forget the additional hundreds of dollars per month in water utility bills. The plumbing service provider can inspect for toilet leaks using three main methods. These include:

The Dye Test

The plumbing service provider uses a dye tablet or food coloring powder in this test. They open the toilet lid and pour several drops or pellets of the dye or coloring into the toilet. They then wait for several minutes and check whether there is color or dye in the toilet bowl. If there is a coloring, they conclude that a leakage allows the toilet’s tank water to enter the bowl.

Sound Check

You can hear the drips or trickling water flowing into the toilet bowl if the leakage is pronounced. Additionally, if you hear a hissing sound, you might have a leakage. Call a plumber in Rhome, TX, to inspect the toilet’s flapper, the water line connections, and toilet seals.

Leakage Detection Equipment

The plumbing services provider might also use leakage detection tools to detect whether your toilet is leaking. Of all the three, this is the most technologically advanced method and yields the best results. Hence, when looking for a plumber, ensure they have such tools. Most of the time, toilet leaks are normally a result of a damaged or faulty flapper in a toilet tank. This issue is relatively easy to repair for an experienced plumber.

Leaky Fixtures and Faucets

The other notorious reason for the high water utility bills at the end month is a leaking faucet. The larger the leakage, the more the water wastage. This translates to higher water utility bills. For instance, if the faucet leaks like a drip every second, it could waste about 17 gallons of water daily. However, a leaking faucet is relatively easy to detect and fix for a plumbing service provider in Rhome, TX. The professional will use just a simple visual inspection of the showerhead and faucet, among the other fixtures. If the faucet is leaking, you will hear water dripping.

Although you might think that repairing a faucet is an easy issue that you can use your DIY skills to fix, you are advised against this. Instead, you should allow a professional plumber to inspect and fix the issue to ensure that you don’t make it even worse. Most of the time, faucet leaks are caused by faulty rubbers within the faucet handle. The plumbing service provider will shut off the water, unscrew the handle, remove the damaged washer, and later replace them with a new one.

Leaking Dishwashers and Washing Machines

Forget about those missing socks; you might have an even bigger issue. The washing machine or the dishwasher might be leaking. Unfortunately, since they are tucked away in a closet or a basement, most homeowners in Rhome, TX, realize they have a leaking washing machine or dishwasher too late. Hence, it is advised that you hire a professional plumbing service provider for a routine inspection and maintenance of these plumbing appliances. You can also hire a professional plumber to install a high-efficiency washing machine that can save you about fifty percent less water than conventional models.

So, what about your dishwasher? The unit might have sprung a leak too. Hence, ensure that you also inspect it. You can also purchase a WaterSense-rated dishwasher that saves or conserves water, meaning you’ll pay fewer monthly water bills. You should remember that cleaning dishes using a dishwasher uses less water than cleaning them by hand. According to CNET, cleaning the dishes in your sink could use up to 27 water gallons/load. The same report also indicates that using an Energy Star-certified dishwasher will save you about 5000 gallons/year of water.

Irrigation Leaks

Contrary to what you thought, not all leaks will occur indoors. Hence, if you have an irrigation system for your home’s landscaping, a loose joint or a line crack might leak water even with the irrigation system being off. It might prove tricky to locate or diagnose these leaks, especially when the irrigation lines are buried underground and out of sight.

The plumbing service provider might use a leakage detection tool to detect these leaks. Other signs of irrigation line leaks include damp patches on your yard or patches of greener or lush grass. However, you should keep in mind that these signs are in a way similar to those of lateral line leaks. To fix this form of leakage, you should enlist the help of a professional plumber to inspect the plumbing issue, pinpoint where the leak is, and take the appropriate measures to resolve them.

Lateral line Leakages

Sometimes, some of the underground pipes that feed water from the water utility provider into your home might have a loose or cracked joint. The causes of lateral line leaks are variants. However, some contributing factors are tree root intrusion, pipe age, corrosion, ground movement, subsurface activities, and blockages. Though this problem is similar to an irrigation leak, it typically has more severe impacts.

However, a plumbing service provider can easily diagnose lateral line leaks using inspection cameras and leakage detection tools. Additionally, signs such as an escaping high water utility bill indicate that the water line has sprung a leakage. Whenever you notice that you might be having a water line leakage, you should call a plumber for a further inspection and repair. There are various solutions that the professional might use to patch the leak, including trenchless pipe lining, CIPP, pipe bursting, and traditional trenching and replacing.

Outdated, Old Toilets and Fixtures

Some homes in Rhome, TX, have a long history and have equally old plumbing fixtures. Because of technological advancements, there are many improvements in the efficiency of the plumbing fixtures such as toilets and showers. Today, the plumbing service providers can install newer or modern aerator models for the faucets, dual-flush and low-flow water-conserving toilets, and water-conserving showerheads. This doesn’t come up just out of the blue.

It first manifests as a small issue that, if you neglect it, results in more serious wastage of water. You can also notice it from the high-water utility bills. Hence, retain a professional plumber for a routine inspection and maintenance of the faucets, showerheads, and other plumbing appliances that use water. Further, ensure that you only purchase appliances that are WaterSense labeled. Additionally, ensure that you hire a plumbing service provider for a plumbing inspection before purchasing a new home.

Water Consumption and Seasonal Changes

The water consumption at your home can be affected by seasonal changes. For instance, there is a high water consumption for the following reasons:

• The swimming pools might require refilling because of evaporation.
• The air conditioners might need to be water-cooled.
• Homeowners should regularly water the plants and lawns.
• The kids are at home during summer, meaning more baths and other water uses.
• The family members are more active, meaning they sweat more, resulting in more showers.

This results in high water bills in summer, though it might also happen in other seasons. For instance, you might have to run the water in winter through your pipes to prevent freezing. You also might want to attach the humidifiers to your furnace, or it might be malfunctioning or malfunctioning appropriately. Unfortunately, there isn’t much a plumbing service provider can do to help in this case.

New Water-Consuming Equipment

The other reason you might experience a high water utility bill at your home is to add a new appliance that consumes water. Installation of a pool, washing machine, sprinkler system, freezer, and other new equipment might cause an increase in your water bills. To reduce the impact of the new plumbing equipment on the water utility bill, plumbing service providers advise that you purchase a WaterSense-rated appliance and those marked as high efficiency. If you have added a pool to your home, ensure you cover it whenever it isn’t in use to reduce the water loss occasioned by evaporation. This will ensure you don’t have to pay high water utility bills.

Bad Water Usage Habits

In some cases, a high or substantial water bill might result from overusing or overconsumption behaviors affiliated with the home utilities and appliances. Some of these behaviors might include but are not limited to:

• Using the washing machine for quarter- or half-loads instead of washing clothes on full load.
• Using top-loading washing machines that consume about 200% more water compared to modern front-loading washing machines.
• When a homeowner overwaters their yards.
• Unmediated use of the water-consuming recreational equipment and toys.
• Unnecessarily lengthy showers. You could save up to per month if you keep your showers for less than 5 minutes.
• Wash your dishes by hand. When cleaning dishes at your home, running the water might consume four or five times more water than using a dishwasher.
• Running water to thaw frozen foods and meats rather than removing them from the freezer earlier.
• Leaving the water running when shaving or brushing your teeth. This wastes water at your home.

The plumbing service providers in Rhome, TX, advise that you practice water conservation to reduce the monthly water consumption and utility bills.

Water Meter Issues

If none of the above applies, your water meter might be an issue. It happens more than you might think. For instance, the authorities in Hollywood had to replace the water meters in various residential properties because they weren’t designed to handle the humid, hot, and wet South Florida weather.

Hence, the water meters weren’t providing the right or accurate readings. Do you think that the water meter might be faulty? Call a plumbing service provider for a further inspection. If they diagnose that it has a problem, the professional will advise you to contact your water utility provider for a water meter replacement.

As you can see from above, there are many reasons for the high water utility bills at the end of the month. Although most of them are leakage-related, many other reasons aren’t leakage related. Hence, it is upon the homeowners to ensure that they take measures to prevent water loss. This might include hiring a plumbing service provider to inspect your plumbing systems and address leakage-related issues. If you need any plumbing service in Rhome, TX, call us anytime at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Fort Worth.

Photo By In Green at Shutterstock