How Much Water Does My Running Toilet Use in Sacramento?

A slow drip, or the occasional sound of your toilet running, doesn’t exactly cause panic. How much water does a running toilet use, after all? But what if each of those drops was a penny? That might help you visualize the hidden cost of a leaky toilet. It may also help you realize that the cost to repair a toilet pales in comparison to the other, far more expensive, home repairs a leaky toilet leaves in its wake. Time to call an Ace for Sacramento toilet repairs!

Toilet Repairs That Won’t Soak Your Wallet.

How Much Water Does a Running Toilet Waste?

At a glance, a leaky toilet is like a faucet with a slow drip. What’s the worst that could happen? Well, the fact is that even a leak that seems like nothing wastes a lot of water.

It may surprise you to find out that leaky toilets waste more water than a dripping faucet. Your toilet accounts for about 26% of your total water usage when it’s working properly. 

As high as that number is, it climbs higher if you’ve got a leak. Taken in total, leaky fixtures, dishwashers, and toilets waste 200 or more gallons per day in the average home. That probably seems ridiculously high to you, but we’d suggest trying a little experiment: find a faucet with a slow drip and put a gallon jug underneath. A rate of one drip per second will fill that jug in a little more than four hours, so one sink alone is wasting between five and six gallons per day.

How Can I Tell if I Have a Leaky Toilet?

What makes leaky toilets worse is that you won’t always know they’re leaking. Sure, you may hear the toilet run unexpectedly from time to time, but many leaks are silent. Try putting dye or food coloring in the tank; if the water in the bowl changes color, you leak, and you could be wasting dozens of gallons (or more) per day. 

Preventing Water Waste

There are a few steps you can take that will prevent water waste and lower your water bills. 

• Using an older toilet? Switch to a newer model that uses fewer gallons per flush; this alone can easily pay for itself in the first year.
• Spot-check your toilet using the steps above, and also make sure your faucets aren’t leaking (leave a pot in the sink overnight). Getting Sacramento plumbing repair or installing low-flow plumbing fixtures saves water and money too.
• Remember that it’s not just toilets and fixtures that can leak. Inspect your washing machine, service your water heater regularly, and make sure your dishwasher doesn’t leak.

Protect Your Home with Sacramento Plumbing Repair

You don’t have to be particularly environment-conscious to worry about water waste. The savings in money on water use alone makes plumbing repairs and replacement worthwhile, but you’ll also benefit by spending less to repair or replace vanities, flooring, drywall, or finished basements.

Emergency Plumbing Service

You can’t always predict or prevent leaks. But when they do happen, call Ace Plumbing at 916-455-4548. From leaky toilets to dripping faucets, clogged drains to complex repairs like backflow prevention, we help you conserve water and save money year-round!