Do any of the faucets in your home constantly drip or leak? If so, putting off having the issue repaired means you’re definitely wasting water and potentially costing yourself money. Unlike some other types of plumbing leaks, a dripping or leaky faucet won’t result in your home experiencing water damage. Nonetheless, it’s still an issue that you’re best to have repaired as soon as possible. In this article, we’ll explore how much water a leaky faucet and other leaky plumbing fixtures can waste to help you understand why you should never put off having the issue repaired.
How Much Water Can a Leaky Faucet Waste?
How many gallons of water a leaky or dripping faucet can waste in a day, week or month depends on the severity of the leak. If you have one drip of water leaking out each second, it can potentially end up wasting a little over 8 gallons of water per day. That adds up to a whopping 250 gallons a month or 3,000 gallons per year. If the drips are larger than the average size, the faucet could waste as much as 20 gallons of water a day or 600 gallons per month.
While the amount of water that gets wasted in a month may not seem like much, even a somewhat minor drip can easily be the equivalent of taking more than 10 additional showers in a month. It’s also important to consider just how much water you can end up wasting if you have more than one faucet or other plumbing fixture that continually drips.
What Can Cause a Faucet to Drip or Leak?
While you can use the terms interchangeably, when plumbers talk about a dripping faucet or a leaking faucet, they are generally referring to two different issues. A dripping faucet is obviously when water keeps dripping out of the faucet when it’s shut off. In terms of a faucet leak, what we’re generally referring to is when water leaks out of the base or some other part of the faucet when it’s turned on. You can also potentially end up with water leaking out of the base of the faucet when it’s shut off, but this is fairly rare. It’s also something you’ll be more concerned with since the water can quickly end up damaging the wall and nearby surfaces or even dripping onto the floor.
A faucet or showerhead that continually drips when shut off usually indicates that its cartridge valve is worn out. When you turn on a faucet or shower, this valve opens to allow the water to start flowing. You’ll also sometimes hear it referred to as a mixing valve since it controls the flow of hot and cold water so that you can adjust the temperature. If this valve wears out, it can end up not closing fully when you shut the water off so that water continually drips. Replacing a cartridge valve isn’t all that difficult, but it’s a good idea to hire a plumber if you aren’t sure what to do since you could otherwise cause further damage.
If water drips out of the base of the faucet when it’s on, it usually indicates that an internal seal is worn out or the internal components have severely rusted and corroded. In this case, the overall condition of the faucet and its age can help you determine whether the issue can be repaired or if you should just replace your faucet.
How Much Water Do Other Plumbing Leaks Waste?
A bathtub spout or showerhead that frequently drips will typically waste about the same amount of water as a leaky faucet. In this case, it again depends on how often the fixture drips and what size the drips are. A much bigger concern that contributes far more to wasted water is if you have a toilet that doesn’t ever stop running or has a leak that leads to it frequently needing to refill. If you have a toilet with this type of issue, you could end up with your monthly water usage potentially increasing by as much as 20,000 to 30,000 gallons and your water bill skyrocketing. A small leak in a water line may not waste as much water but is still a serious issue due to the damage it can cause and also because it can lead to mold issues.
How to Check for Plumbing Leaks in Your Home
A dripping faucet or showerhead is something you’ll always be able to easily spot. Identifying other leaks isn’t always so easy without taking additional steps. You’ll sometimes be able to tell if your toilet is leaking water out of the tank into the bowl since you’ll occasionally hear it running and refilling. Nonetheless, sometimes the water can leak out of the tank so slowly that the toilet will rarely need to refill if it gets used fairly frequently. If you suspect you have a leaky toilet, the easiest way to check is by adding a bit of food coloring to the tank. If there is even a minor leak, the water in the bowl will start to show some color within 15-30 minutes at the most.
Another easy way to tell if your home has any plumbing leaks is just by checking your water bill. The average family of four typically uses around 4,000 to 5,000 gallons of water per month, except during the summers when usage increases due to watering the lawn, garden and flowers. Of course, some families can use quite a bit more water depending on how often they do dishes and laundry and how long of showers everyone takes. Nonetheless, if your household is using more than 10,000 to 12,000 gallons of water in the middle of winter, it’s a sure sign that your house has some fairly substantial leaks.
Another easy way to check if your home has any plumbing leaks is by looking at your water meter. Most water meters have a spinning dial that serves as a leak indicator. If you see that this dial is spinning when you’re not running any water, it indicates you have a decent-sized leak somewhere. You can also check the usage number on the meter to identify even minor pinhole leaks. All you need to do is look at the usage number before leaving for work and then again when you get home to see if the number is still the same. As long as no water ran while you were away, the number should be exactly the same. If the usage has gone up at all, you can be certain there is a leak somewhere in your indoor or outdoor plumbing.
If you suspect your plumbing is leaking or you need any other home service in the Denver area, you can always count on the expert team at Summit Heating, A/C, Plumbing & Electrical. We’ve been in business since 1998 and have a reputation as one of the area’s best plumbing, heating, air conditioning and electrical contractors. When you choose us for your home service needs, you can be certain that everything will be done properly and you’ll be fully satisfied with the work our team performs. That’s because we offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee and will provide the service at no cost if it isn’t done properly. Whether it’s leak detection and repair or anything else, give us a call and we’ll make sure the job gets done right. We also offer residential plumbing inspections!
