Saving water: Leak prevention

29 June 2015

Saving water by economising is a well voiced topic; take baths instead of showers, turn water off while brushing your teeth. But something in your home could be silently using too much water, – a leaky loo, making saving water impossible! A loo with a leak can waste up to 400 litres of water a day – enough to full five bathtubs and costing up to £300 per year if you are on a water meter.

Leaky loos are actually one of the most common causes for sudden high water use and it could be going unnoticed in your home as water trickles steadily away down the pan.

This is bad for the environment and bad for your pocket. So, how to spot it, and make sure you are saving water?

Hearing the flow of water when the toilet has not been flushed, or seeing a slight but continual trickle at the back of the toilet pan, are strong indications you have a leak.

Fortunately, it’s usually not too difficult or expensive to repair if you know something about how they work. There are only so many things that can go wrong inside a toilet tank.

If you’ve already waited a while after flushing and the toilet hasn’t stopped running, lift the tank lid and look in.

1. Check if the water in the tank is at the water line.

Not having enough water in the tank will make the toilet run so if the water is NOT at the water line, check your water valve to see that it is on all the way. If not then turn it all the way on and your tank should start filling up to the water line (unless the Refill Valve or Float are not correctly adjusted). Try this before changing flapper or anything else.

2. Try adjusting the valve and float.

Pull up on the float with your hand. If doing this stops the water flow then alter the level of the float so the tank stops filling when water is approximately one inch (2.5cm) below the top of the overflow tube. If the tank level is too high, the excess pressure can cause water to leak through the flapper into the bowl (even with a brand new flapper).

3. Close the flapper

If the tank is not full and it is still not filling, it will usually mean that the flapper is stuck open.

You can reach in and close it with your hand but if it sticks frequently, you need to look for the cause and make any necessary adjustments.

Carrying out these measures could easily help with saving water and more importantly keeping that £300 a year in your pocket. Saving water is not only good for the environment but can decrease one of your biggest household expenses. Read some more water saving tips here…

For help with leaks, Homecure have a team of experts available 24/7.

Related News

– Plumbing prevention at home