If you receive a high water bill and you cannot believe just how high it is then there are certain things you should check to try and figure out why you are suddenly paying so much more. There may be obvious reasons why the bill is high; the weather may have been very hot, the children may have been home from school, or you may have had people visiting. If you know the reason for the high charge that’s great, but if you don’t know then you really do need to do some investigating.
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It could be that you have a plumbing problem and need to check out websites such as plumbingdetectives.com.au to get some help. But how exactly do you know if you have a problem? Here are some of the most common potential issues that could cause a high water bill you should keep a look out for.
A toilet that is leaking
One of the most common causes of water wastage is problems with a toilet. You can often hear is there is a problem with water running from your toilet. There are also checks you can do for toilet leaks. To check if you have a problem with the flush valve ball you should take the top off the toilet tank and flush the toilet.
After it has fully refilled you should place a few drops of dye in the water. You should then wait for at least twenty minutes. After the time has elapsed if you see any color in the toilet bowl then there is a leak. To check if the fill valve is broken all you need to do is take the lid off the toilet tank and then flush the toilet. Once the tank is full see if the water is draining into the overflow tubes.
A tap that is dripping
It’s amazing how many people just ignore a dripping tap. Did you know that a tap can actually drip around 20 gallons of water each day; that is a lot of water to waste! It can also lead to an extremely high water bill! It is often quite easy to fix a dripping tap; the most common cause is broken or worn out parts such as washers. If you cannot solve the problem yourself then you should call a plumber to help – never just ignore the problem.
A water pipe that is broken
If you have visible pipes in your home then you should check them regularly for any signs of leaks or breaks. You should also remember to keep an eye on pipes that are hidden away; for example, you may have pipes in the attic that you do not normally see on a regular basis. You may also have pipes that are hidden underground. A good way of checking for problems with these pipes is to look for any wet patches.
Hopefully, we’ve given you some ideas about what to check when you are trying to figure out why your have such a high water bill. If you cannot figure out the problem then you should definitely speak to the water company and a plumber to see if there are any issues you have not identified.