Water bills can be baffling. Sure, you’re aware that having a minimum water bill is a necessity. But if your bill suddenly doubles or triples, it can be tempting to think that you must have had some sort of plumbing emergency, like that your toilet is leaking gallons every minute, a busted pipe, or even a leaky faucet.
Nevertheless, the truth is often more mundane, and more often than not you may have just increased the amount of water you’re using by accident. ( However, if you’re wondering why your water bill is high, our experts at Westerville Plumbing & Drain have listed a few quick things to check.
How Do You Check If You Are Using More Water Than You Should?
- Check for leaks.
- Make sure your pipes are properly insulated and are not exposed to the elements.
- Take a good look at how many people live in your house, and plan accordingly. If there is only one person living in the home, then you should be using less water than someone with a large family or who has guests often.
- Look at your bills from previous months to see if they match up with what you’re using now. For example, if you’re using 200 gallons of water per month but only have 60 gallons worth of fixtures in use (such as toilets), then that means there’s something wrong somewhere!
Are You Using More Water Than Usual?
Make sure to identify all of your residential appliances that use water, including but not limited to:
- The toilet
- The water heater
- The washing machine
- The dishwasher
- The shower or tub faucet (if you have one)
- Your sink faucet, if you have one. This includes the cold-water spigot and any hot-water taps (not necessarily in your kitchen).
If you’ve identified a possible problem with one or more of these items, then try to figure out what is causing it. If you think something might be broken, contact one of our expert plumbers at Westerville Plumbing & Drain and get an estimate.
Are Your Taps and Appliances Using Water When They Shouldn’t Be?
- Check for leaks. If you have a plumbing or water heater issue, it will most likely leak when the house is empty.
- Turn off taps and make sure your appliances aren’t running. Closing the faucet to a sink will save around 3 gallons per minute (GPM), according to the WaterSense website. It takes about 90 seconds for running dishwashers and washing machines to use 1 gallon of water, which means that leaving one on while you’re not home can cost you over $10 in wasted water every day!
- Check for leaking toilets. A toilet that’s flushing too much can waste over 200 gallons of water per day! This is because older models don’t have an automatic shut-off valve between them and their tanks—which means they’ll continue overflowing until someone notices the problem! Make sure yours has this very important feature before installing it in your house: it might seem like just another thing standing between us and our bills, but trust me when I say that these things are important for not wasting water, time, and energy.
- Check any faucets near your appliances. You can do this by turning off all nearby sources of flow except those found within these items themselves; if none exist, then check each faucet individually until one starts spraying or leaking without any provocation whatsoever. If this is the case, it is usually caused by faulty internal valves and you should contact a professional plumber immediately.
Is Your Water Meter Working Correctly?
First, check the meter reading against the meter reading on your bill. If there’s a difference, it’s possible that your water company is overcharging you. If this is the case and you’ve been paying for water that was never used, contact your utility company to see if they will offer a credit for the overpayment.
If everything checks out with this step, there could still be issues with how much water has actually been consumed or how quickly it was used. You can also contact your utility company if this happens and request an inspection of their equipment to make sure everything is working properly.
When Should You Call a Plumber for a High Water Bill?
If your water bill is higher than usual, it’s important to investigate why. It may be that you’re using more water than normal, or it could be a leak in your house or garden. Whatever the reason, you don’t want to wait to find out what’s causing this problem because it will only get worse with time. The best thing to do is call Westerville Plumbing & Drain right away so that we can help identify any issues and work towards solving them immediately before they turn into bigger problems down the road! Call us today at (614) 540-3437, or schedule an appointment online now by clicking here!