Many people are regularly looking for ways to lower their home energy bill, and there’s one area of plumbing that often goes overlooked here: Leaks. If you have one or more plumbing fixtures leaking any reasonable amount of water, this could not only cause water damage, but could be contributing significantly to overages on your water bill each month.

At Whipple Plumbing, we’re here to help you avoid this kind of useless spending. When checking for leaks around the plumbing fixtures in your home, knowing the right places to look will make this entire process a breeze. Here are some of the common plumbing areas to check for leaks.

Toilets

The toilet has many working parts that contribute to every flush, and these parts can wear down or break over time. If a single piece needs adjustment or breaks down, the toilet itself may continue to run even while water leaks.

In some cases, you can hear that water continues to run even while the toilet isn’t flushing. In others, you’ll have to use the food coloring trick – put a few drops of food coloring in the tank up top, then wait 15 minutes. If the newly colored water is still in the tank, that’s good. If it has traveled to the bowl, however, this means the toilet needs repairs.

Faucets

A single faucet dripping once per second can waste over 3,000 gallons of water per year, and present significant cost issues for you. Check all faucets, their handles and the plumbing underneath sinks for leaks.

Outdoor Spigots

Many homeowners check all the plumbing inside diligently, but forget to check outside as well. Spigots on home exterior should be checked for leaks, especially after the winter.

Shower Heads

It’s normal for water to drip from the shower head for a few seconds after use, but if the dripping doesn’t stop here relatively quickly, a leak that needs repairing could be present. Ensure that the shower head is tightly connected – in some cases, pipe tape can assist here. Also inspect the O-ring inside the shower head and see if it looks worn down or out of date.

For more on preventing leaks, or to find out about our other services in plumbing, drain cleaning, water damage and more, speak to the experts at Whipple Plumbing today.