For many households and businesses, water bills will remain in a fairly constant budget bracket – and as long as nothing goes wrong, you shouldn’t receive too many surprises when you open the bill each month. But, if it seems like your bill has drastically increased and there doesn’t seem to be a reason for it (more people living in the home, extra watering days when it comes to the garden) then it’s likely that something has gone wrong with your water system or pipes. The most common situation is that there is a leak somewhere; whether it’s a tap, toilet, or internal pipe – this can increase your water bill significantly, not to mention waste water along the way.
Here are some of the steps you can take to identify a leak and figure out why your water bill is higher than usual:
How to detect a leak:
Some leaks might be easy to locate. You might have noticed a tap that won’t seem to stop dripping no matter how tight you turn it off, realised that the shower head won’t stop running, or noticed that a toilet won’t stop running. Maybe you’ve noticed extra water around your tank. Once you have identified the leak, it may just be a matter of tightening a fitting. But, it’s more likely that something is happening internally – in which case, it’s time to call in the professionals.
Check the toilet:
If you’ve checked all your sources of water and can’t find the leak easily, head for the toilet. Toilet leaks aren’t always easy to see or hear – they don’t just come in the form of continually running water in the bowl. A good trick to establish whether or not there is something happening within your toilet is to grab some food colouring and put a few drops in the toilet bowl. Wait a few minutes, and if the toilet water turns a different colour, it’s likely that there’s a leak and the flapper probably needs replacing. If the dye is just absorbed, your toilet may not be the issue.
Read your water meter:
You’ve checked your taps, shower heads, toilets and still can’t find the source of the leak – and are now beginning to wonder whether there is one at all. It’s time to head for your water meter and check this out once and for all. First up, make sure all the water in your home is turned off and that everyone else in the house knows not to turn it out while you’re looking at the meter. Then, open up your meter box and watch the dial for a few minutes. If the numbers move at all, it’s likely that you have a leak.
Know you’ve got a leak and want to make sure your next water bill isn’t a nasty surprise? Tap Doctor WA Plumbing & Gas are here to keep your water bills down. Get in touch with our team of expert plumbers and take advantage of Perth’s best plumbing services today.