High Water Bills in Syracuse NY: Possible Causes and Solutions

You get your water bill in the mail and discover that it’s more than what you typically pay for. Much more. The bill is unnaturally high, especially versus your perceived usage, and you want to do something to bring the cost down.

The spike in your water bill did not happen without reason. You have to set out an investigation to find out what might be causing this sudden increase, and then devise the best solutions to stop wasting water and money once and for all. If you call Syracuse NY home and want a water expert to help you determine why your water bills are suddenly high, check out https://www.andersonwater.com.

If you’re going to determine the cause behind the excessive water bill on your own, read on. Here’s a rundown of the possible causes of your high-water bills and what you can do about them.

Possible Cause: Running Toilet

No, the toilet itself isn’t running away, but the toilet may be using unnecessary amounts of water. If you have an older toilet and it has become leaky, it can use as much as seven gallons of water for every flush. That’s a lot of water right there.

There are several reasons for a running toilet. It could be that the flapper is worn out or broken, the valve needs replacement, or there’s something wrong with the fill tubes.

Solution: Check if the toilet is indeed running. You can find out if it is by dropping some food coloring into the bowl. Check after half an hour and see if the color has disappeared in the bowl. If it did not, then you have a running toilet. If you can identify what causes it and you’re quite handy, you can go ahead and replace the flappers yourself. However, don’t hesitate to hire professional plumbers to do the work as it could be caused by something more severe than you think.

Possible Cause: Leaking Faucet

You hear that annoying drip sound from your faucet all the time, but you have yet to do anything about it. After all, it’s just a drip, right? But by leaving the faucet dripping all day could mean wasting as much as 20 liters of water. Soon enough, the leaking faucet is going to inflate your water bill considerably.

Solution: Check all faucets in and out of your house to see if there’s any more of them that drip. Your tap water could be dripping as well, and you don’t even know it. In most cases, you can fix the leak by replacing the worn-out washer in the faucet with a new one to stop the leaks. But if the problem persists, get on the phone and call your trusted plumber.

Possible Cause: Overlooked Leaks

It may be easy to spot a dripping faucet or running toilet, but some leaks need careful inspection. If you let these leaks sit for too long, they won’t just balloon your water bill; they may get inhabited by molds and mildew too, cause rotting and a host of other problems.

Solution: Check your pipes and water fixtures regularly even if you think there’s nothing wrong with them. Sometimes, you only find out that you have a problem when it’s worsened and become difficult to handle. Make it part your maintenance routine so that no leak ever escapes your eye.

Possible Cause: Situational Changes at Home

Did you have a guest stay with you at home? Was the summer unbearably hot this year? It is often easy to blame things like a running toilet or leaky faucets for the increase in the water bill, but sometimes that is not the case. When you have guests staying for a couple of days, they add to the water consumption. They use the toilet, they shower and they may even soak in the bathtub. If it was an unusually hot summer, you might have been tempted to fill the pool and let the kids swim. Your plants also needed more watering to keep them green and healthy.

Solution: When you, or the family or guests, can’t get away from using too much water, then you should expect the water bill to increase this month. However, you can train your family to use less water. Simple tricks such as turning off the tap when brushing teeth, using rainwater to water the plants, or spending less time in the shower can all help you keep your water bill low. These collective efforts can go a long way in reducing your water consumption.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Don’t go paying high water bills when you can do something about them. With some effort, inspecting, and perhaps a consultation with your trusted plumber, you can bring the cost down and enjoy the savings.