Stop flushing money down the drain
November 4, 2009 by Jennifer Chait
Filed under Around the House, Doing it Yourself
Your toilet is useful for sure, but if it has issue, and you’re not a renter with a handy paid for maintenance crew, your toilet can cost you big time. Don’t let the toilet get your down. Try the following…
Check for leaks: Although you hear horror stories about leaks, unless they’re insane leaks, they don’t cost you that much in cash. However, wasting water is never cool, not from a green-minded or budget minded standpoint so checking for leaks is smart. A major reason to look for leaks is because one little leak may be part of a larger, more costly issue.
To check for toilet leaks…
Quiet leaks are tricky. Unlike a running toilet, which you can hear and does waste a ton of water, a quiet or silent leak won’t make an obvious sound. Flush your toilet and as the reservoir is filling, add 2 or 3 drops of food coloring to the water. Have a cup of tea, then head back to your bowl. If the water in the bowl changes color, the flapper valve should be replaced.
If you get a leak or another sketchy toilet issue, you can try to fix it yourself (ONLY if you’re sure you won’t make it worse). Toiletology 101 offers many excellent tips and tricks for all sorts of toilet problems. Or you can consult your own handy fix-it book, which, if you own a home is really a super smart investment. The Official Rent-A-Husband Guide to a Safe, Problem-Free Home: Quick, Easy, and Effective Solutions for Do-It-Yourselfer Improvements and Repairs – this book has a stupid name (um, yeah, only men can fix things – lame), but is actually pretty good for simple home fixes. Another more in-depth book is Black & Decker Complete Photo Guide to Home Repair: with 350 Projects and 2000 Photos.
To save more money…
Take a picture. Toilets have some seriously weird components at times. If you’re not sure what a part is, or if you should mess with it, take a photo then head to the local hardware store. The folks there should be able to tell you what you need to fix it.
Make sure people are using the toilet correctly – for example, you may think your toilet is acting up, but really people just aren’t flushing right. With many low-flows you really do need to hold that handle down for a count of five. Also instruct family not to put things in the toilet that could damage it in the long term. Most toilets can’t handle small toys, tampons, and other stuff.
Don’t wait too long to call a professional. Seriously, water damage to your home is WAY more costly than any toilet repair – heck, you could put in a brand new toilet for less than what water damage will cost, so don’t under budget for a repair that you really should hire help for.
[image via stock.xchng]
Unfortunately for us in Northern Virginia wasting water DOES cost a lot of money. I got my water bill yesterday as a matter of fact–$272 for two months. And I feel like we conserve more than more people, too! So we’re going to be taking your advice and hiring someone to fix what must be a toilet leak somewhere.
272! HOLY. That is a lot. All I meant about the leaks is that I’ve seen some green bloggers who go on and on about small leaks wasting a ton of water. Then I read a report that was done on consumer water leaks, and it turned out that after measuring the details weren’t as horrific as some think. However, a serious leak can cost you. If you really feel like you conserve, you must have some sort of leak though – 272 is a ton of money. Sorry you’re dealing with lame toilet issues
True. We need to conserve as much water as we can.
Another awesome thing that is going on is huge rebates on toilets if you replace an old one. If you live in Southern California, you can go to http://www.20gallonchallenge.com and see what you can save!
Robert