The only thing worse than receiving a water bill and seeing a number twice as high as you’d expect is seeing that number and having no idea why or how to reduce it. Many of us would frantically call our water company expecting that there’s been a mistake, unfortunately, chances of that being the case are slim. That high water bill is more often than not, the result of an undetected leak lurking somewhere in your home.
If this has ever been you, don’t worry you aren’t alone. One of the most common calls our plumbers receive is about unusually high water bills, the reason behind many = sneaky water leaks.
We’re not talking about the loud dripping into the toilet bowl that is easily identified (it might even keep you up at night!), rather it’s the quiet trickling down the sides of the bowl that you can’t see or hear, that silently but surely push your bills sky high.
These leaks can go undetected often for months at a time until you’ve found the leak and had it repaired, but by then the damage is done and the bill has arrived. To save yourself the stress (and the $$$) we’re going to show you how to check for a silent leak through a 5 step simple DIY that almost anyone can do. The best part? You can do this test right now using one simple tool: Food colouring.
- Remove the lid of your toilet cistern
2. With the lid removed, flush your toilet as usual. Wait for the water to fill back up again
3. Drop 6-10 drops of food colouring into the cistern depending on the size of your tank, blue or red work best.
4. Replace the toilet lid and wait 30 minutes. Do not use or flush the toilet in this time.
5. After 30 minutes return and inspect the toilet bowl. If the colour of the water has changed there is a leak.
If you find that one (or more) of your toilets are leaking, call a licensed plumber now. These leaks can waste hundreds of litres of water in a matter of weeks.
If you find that your toilet doesn’t have a silent leak, your high water bill may be attributed to another leak, hidden somewhere else in your plumbing system. The only way to be sure is to call a plumber to conduct a leak detection and come up with a solution for your home. Don’t wait!
