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]

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Fix the leaky faucet yourself!

Found this resource on how you can fix that bad faucet:

Of course, this is for those intermediate DIY-ers who already know some basic repair steps. You don’t want to actually spend more instead of saving your money just because you actually don’t know any of the tools or the processes in fixing just about anything, right?

TOOLS: Adjustable crescent wrench, screwdriver, hex wrench set, washers, O-rings or a seal-and-spring replacement set.

HOW: A drippy faucet is annoying and costly. It’ll keep you up at night as the drip-drip-drip sends money down the drain. To remedy, turn the hot and cold water off at the shut-off valves, usually under the sink or inside the vanity cabinet. To prepare for dismantling the faucet, Gary Dymski at Newsday suggests spreading an old towel on the floor. Then, place the parts on it in the order in which you take them off. That should help with reassembly.

Open the faucets to drain the water. Locate the handle screw, sometimes covered by a plastic cap, or accessed via a tiny inset screw. The stem or faucet body is now exposed.

Use the crescent wrench to remove the retainer ring or lock nut, which holds the stem in place.

To stop the leak, replace the O-ring on washerless faucets. On lever faucets, the leak will stop after the rubber-coated seal-and-spring cartridge is replaced.

More do-it-yourself home repair tips from the Charlotte Observer.

image from tanashabitat.com

Post from: Thrifty Mommy