What Are Some Common Causes of High Water Bills?

January 6, 2022

One of the most common questions we receive from our customers is, “Is my leaky toilet running up my water bill?”

It’s true that there can be issues with a leaky toilet or sink causing higher water bills. However, these are not the only factors that lead to higher water bills. Understanding these common causes can help you determine when you need to make repairs to your plumbing and the steps you can take to save money on your water bills.

Here’s a quick look at some of these common causes:

  • Leaking toilets: Toilets that have a leak or continue to run after being flushed can account for a lot of wasted water.
  • Dripping faucet: Faucet drips can waste 20 gallons of water or more per day. It might seem like a minor problem when only a single drop of water comes out at once, but those drops really add up over the long term!
  • Pools: It takes a lot of water to fill or even to simply top off a swimming pool or hot tub. If you have one on your property, expect higher water bills.
  • Landscaping: Watering a lawn, new grass, trees or even garden beds can take a lot of water. Make sure you keep your hose spigots closed when you’re not using them—otherwise they could also lead to some significant water waste.
  • Sump pumps: Sump pumps that have water-powered backup can add to the expenses you can expect on your water bill.
  • Water softeners: A water softener that continuously cycles can result in greater expense on your water bill.
  • Humidifiers: If you have a humidifier attached to your furnace, that will result in higher water bills, particularly if it’s not put on the proper settings or is malfunctioning in some way.
  • People: The more people you have in your house, the more water you’ll consume. Families that have a lot of guests over the holidays or have kids spending more time at home over the summer or on holiday breaks will use a lot more water during those times for laundry, dishes and flushing the toilet.
  • Air conditioners: Air conditioners that feature water cooling functionality will add to what you can expect to see from your water bills.

If you feel like your water bill is higher than what you would typically expect, you should consider the above factors, but also whether there have been any recent changes in your water use. More guests, watering your lawn more often or performing any other unusual water-related tasks could account for the increase.

If there haven’t been changes in your water usage, you could check for leaks around your property, be it in your pipes, faucets, toilets or irrigation lines. Leaks can occur just about anywhere. Toilets tend to be the most common source, but they can occur anywhere you have plumbing infrastructure on your property.

For more information about how to deal with a leaky toilet and sink causing high water bills, contact our team at Rooter Express.

Categorised in:

Rooter Express
Menu