House Water Leaks 5 things to know to Save Money.
Water Leaks – The Costs
House Water Leaks are the highest contributors to water wastage in Australia. They are an environmental pimple on the face of society. They are often ignored but at any one point in time, just about every Australian home will have a leak here or there. On average, 16% of every water bill is contributed to by leaks. Sydney Water has the following information on leaks
Leaks (taps and pipes)
Dripping tap – 27 – 198 L a day
Leaking pipe (1.5 mm hole) – 99 L a day
Leaks (toilet cisterns)
Slow, barely visible – Â 9 L a day
Leak visible in toilet pan –  36 L a day
Visible, just audible – 144 L a day
Quite visible, constant hiss – 261 L a day
Simply put a single tap that drips a mid-range 100L a day will be costing you nearly 23.5 cents a day, a whopping $86 a year! A toilet cistern that is visibly leaking into the bowl and the leak is just audible could cost you the same amount around $90 a year. Leaking toilet cisterns like this are the most overlooked leak in a household. People don’t see it as a leak because it’s not causing a mess. It’s still $90 a year though!.
Some properties have no water leaks, and others have a lot, but whatever the case 16% can be prevented. Leaking water also stains surfaces often leaving brown lines that are impossible to remove. I’m sure you’ve all seen them, and I’m also sure that you’re not impressed by them.
To put this into perspective, an average swimming pool holds 40,000 litres of water, a big pool holds 60,000 litres. Think of that volume of water going down the drain along with your hard-earned. Throw in some leaking indoor and garden taps, and potentially 100,000+ litres of water could be wasted in a year. That’s over $200.00 of your money plus the obvious environmental impact.Â
1. Water Leaks – Detection
- Check under-sink cupboards. Leaks here are common and caused by the tapware or the Flexi hoses that connect the water supply.
- Check similarly your dishwasher cupboard.
- Check your taps and showers when running water for any unusual spray or dripping that occurs away from the spout hole or shower head.
- Check the same when not running water for any drips anywhere
- Check your washing machine taps for similar issues
- Check Garden taps, hose reels and garden showers for any drips, spray and water leaks
- If you have to over tighten a tap to prevent drips there is an issue
- Check toilets for water entering the bowl after flushing and any water hissing sound. Once the cistern has totally refilled after flushing there should be no noise or water movement in the bowl.
2. Water Saving Taps
New efficient WELS rated water saving tapware not only improves the visual appearance of your home, but also the amount of water that gets used, and or wasted. If you have an old tap that drips or leaks then the best policy is to replace the tapware. New tapware has better cartridges and longer warranties.
Aerators not only restrict the flow rate but also create a more directional and powerful stream of water that washes more effectively and therefore saves water consumption.
Any repair of an old tap is not a long term solution in reality and if you are paying any call out charges then not a very cost-effective remedy either.
MYTAP has quality water-saving tapware from Parisi and Phoenix Tapware with a 15-year cartridge warranty and 7-year parts and labour. If you are in the metro Sydney area we can also install a like for like product for just $99
There are no hidden charges. The price is the total price you pay for the job and that’s it. There are no Call Out fees. You just have to make sure you select a like for like or compatible product and we have created a How To Guide to help you make the right match selection if you are unsure.
3. Water Saving Shower Heads
Modern Shower Heads can save around 3L/min of used water. With average shower times of 8 mins, that’s a saving of around 24 litres a shower. If your household has, say, 4 showers a day you are saving 100 litres a day minimum and probably more likely to be in excess of 40,000 litres saved in a year.
I know in my household the average shower time is well over 8 minutes!! So your leaky old shower head(s) needs to be replaced with one from our water-saving Parisi and Phoenix Tapware ranges. Your water bills will tumble.Â
4. Toilet Cistern Parts Replacement
If your toilet always seems to be filling all the time then you have a cistern issue. There are degrees of cistern leaks and some are very discreet but they are all wasting your money. Most people actually don’t do anything about cistern water leaks. They think it’s not a real leak as the water is captured in the bowl. However, the water is used/metered when it fills up the toilet tank so any overflow or leak from the tank into the bowl is water and money down the drain.
Old cisterns are probably best replaced as multiple call outs to fix a dodgy cistern will be more expensive than a replacement. You need to determine if the leak is occurring due to the cistern. If water is leaking to the floor then the leak is unlikely to be the cistern but either a cracked pipe, tank or bowl.
A continuously running toilet can leak up to 60,000 litres of water per year (that’s about $130.00 per year).
MYTAP can replace any cistern parts from onboard supplies. You can simply order the replacement service online, make an appointment and then checkout. That’s it, our qualified plumber will come and do the replacement with no extra or hidden charges. Simple!!
5. Flexi Hose Replacement
Major water leaks are common due to Flexi hose failures. Water damage caused by burst flexi hoses accounts for over 22% of all water damage claims in research by the insurer IAG. Flexi hoses are cheaper and quicker to install than welded copper pipes and so have become the industry standard. They don’t last though and so need replacing and we recommend every 5 years, For more information:
MyTap Plumbing Services
If you live in the Northern Sydney area then we have a variety of Plumbing Services available including tap repair, toilet cistern repairs, blocked drain solutions and free installation on selected products
Summary
Remember the price of water only goes up, and our most important resource is worth preserving. So the next time you ignore that little leak, or toilet hiss or watching hundreds of litres go down the drain when showering or washing up, it might be a good time to address the issue. Your bank balance and the environment will love it.
Changing two or more shower heads, replacing tapware and updating cistern parts to modern standards could save as much as $500.00 per year, or $125.00 per quarter.
If you have leaking taps find out if it’s better to replace or fix them