Utility bills are, unfortunately, an unavoidable part of life. However, when a bill is higher than
expected, it can cause undue stress on you as a homeowner. If you’re looking at this month’s
water bill and scratching your head, consult this list of common reasons your water bill may be
higher than usual.
Seasonal or Guest Use
Consider whether you’ve recently hosted houseguests, pressure washed your siding, begun using
an irrigation system, or any number of new, seasonal uses of your water. If so, you may not have
a plumbing issue.
Dripping Faucets
Leaky faucets can cause excess water usage to the tune of 20 gallons of water per day or more.
Multiply this by the number of currently dripping faucets in your home and by the number of
days in your billing cycle, and suddenly, you have a problem. Sometimes, you can easily fix the
problem by reminding family members to fully close the faucet after use. Other times, however,
the faucet may need new washers, springs, or even an entire replacement.
Running or Leaky Toilets
A continuously running toilet can use as much as 200 gallons of water per day, which doubles
many consumers’ water usage. When you consider the fact that all this water is, quite literally,
going down the toilet, addressing this issue becomes vital. Check for a deteriorated flush valve
ball or fill valve inside the toilet tank.
Underground Leaks
Underground leaks are much harder to identify than the other types of leaks mentioned so far.
You should have a general idea regarding how much water your family uses on average for
washing, showers, and other common tasks. If you’ve ruled out leaky faucets and toilets and
your water bill still highly exceeds your average amount, chances are, you may have an
underground leak. Unfortunately, underground leaks are harder to pinpoint, and usually require
the services of a plumber to accurately identify.
Most of the above contributors of excessively high water bills are easily identifiable; however,
your best bet is to contact a skilled plumber so you have knowledge and expertise on your side
when it comes to fixing whatever the problem may be. Contact Birmingham Plumbing, Heating
& Air at (248) 952-9900, and stop excessive water use in its tracks.
