12 Aug Water Saving Tips

Water Saving Tips That Also Help Avoid Water Damage

• Post your water bills on your fridge and play the the “Can we beat last month game?”. This can be a fun competition for the family or the office. The benefit here is obvious water savings but also you will be able to notice any leakage before you can see the damage and often catching a problem well before it becomes a disaster. This alone will push you to research ways to save water and win. There are so many resources and things you can do, but I will share some water damage savers here.

• Replace all your supply lines with new metal braided lines. The supply line is the tube that connects from the wall to your appliance or plumbing fixture. If any of your supply lines are not metal braided, old, show any signs of wear, then switch them out now.

• If your home has had 1-2 pinhole pipe leaks, have the home repiped with pex piping.

• Turn the water off while leaving for a few days. This will keep water from being wasted on leaky fixtures and save your home from a major flood. Small and simple leaks can become big problems when you are away. Very important: turn the water back on slow, it should take you 10 seconds to turn it back on. This way you do not pressurize the lines too fast and flood your house!

• Educate yourself on where the water shut off is to your property. It takes KADE 30-60 minutes to get to your property in the case of a water damage emergency. If you can turn the water off before we arrive, this will save water and money.

• Replace older appliances with new water wise appliances approved by the EPA with an Energy Star. This will save you energy, water, and help you avoid having an appliance burst and shoot water all over your home letting you know it has finally quit.

• If you have exposed fire sprinklers as apposed to recessed, install a fire sprinkler cover over them. This will help them be protected from accidental hits by kids, movers, and indoor shenanigans.

• Have your favorite plumber go through the home and complete a pressure test to make sure no fixtures or appliances are leaking. Also, while there, have them check your pressure to make sure you are not overloading your plumbing system.

• Install water damage alarms near major appliances like the water heater, under sinks, and in the laundry room.

• Use food coloring to diagnose a leak. Place a half a dozen or so drops of food coloring in the toilet tank. Wait 30 minutes and then come back and check to see if the water in the bowl of the toilet has become tinted with the dye. If it has, you have a leak between the bowl and the tank.

• Check all faucets for leaks. A leaky faucet can waste over 200 gallons of water per day and can also cause further damage resulting in more expensive repairs.