Summer is a fantastic time of the year that most people look forward to eagerly. It’s a time for vacation, the weather is warmer, and you can visit the beach. But, this time of year is also when you can expect to see your highest water bills. The garden needs to be watered more frequently, the swimming pool gets filled, and you may take more frequent showers to stay fresh throughout the day. There are many reasons why water usage increases in your home, but you can reduce your water bills if you follow these four useful tips.
- Identifying the Problem Areas
Every family is different, and their needs may vary depending on where and how they live. So, we can offer some useful tips, but they may have differing effects on your water bills. It’s a good idea to take a look at how you use your water during the summer in comparison to the colder months. We’ve mentioned a few of the activities that increase summer water consumption in the introduction. Let’s take a look at some high water use activities, and this can help you to highlight which ones are applicable to your home; they are:
- An increase in watering frequency for lawns, fresh grass, shrubs, and trees.
- Using waterslides and other water related fun activities.
- Topping off or filling the swimming pool.
- Summer visitors that use more water in your home.
- Operating water cooled AC systems.
- Drinking more cold water.
- More frequent showers to stay fresh.
If you’re living in an apartment, you probably won’t need to worry too much about yard related water use. But, as you can see, there are a lot of summer related activities that require more water use. The following tips should help you to lower the water bills without making too much of an impact on how you enjoy your summer.
2. Preventing Water Waste
One of the best ways to lower your water bills during the summer or at any other time of the year is to prevent unnecessary water waste. Many appliances and plumbing fixtures use a larger volume of water than people realize. If you can identify where you are wasting water in your home and change your habits, you can really cut down your consumption. The best part about this approach is that it won’t have much of an impact on how you live your life, and you will have lower water bills anyway. Let’s take a look at four easy habits that you can adopt today:
- When you run your dishwasher, make sure it’s full to ensure that you’re getting the most use out of the water you’re using to wash the dishes.
- When you wash your produce, don’t run the fruits and vegetables under a running faucet. Fill a bowl and wash your produce there instead.
- Always shower instead of taking a bath, you will use less water, and if you can take shorter showers, you will save even more water.
- When you brush your teeth, don’t leave the faucet running continuously.
As you can see, these four habits are very easy to adopt, and you can save a considerable volume of water over the entire year.
3. Watering Your Garden
If you have a lawn, plants, and trees on your property, they will need more water during the summer. When the heat increases later in the day, any water distributed in the garden will evaporate quickly before it can get to the roots. Some people attempt to compensate for this by watering more frequently, but if you change your habits, this isn’t necessary. Let’s take a look at three ways that you can get your garden the water it needs without breaking the bank:
- Always water your lawns, flowers, plants, and shrubs earlier in the morning before the heat increases. This will negate the effects of evaporation and allow sufficient time for the plants to get the most from the watering.
- Upgrade your irrigation system with a rain sensor to make the most of any summer rainfall that can water your garden for free.
- If you can’t water early in the morning or you miss your opportunity, water the garden in the late afternoon or early evening instead.
As you can see, it’s pretty easy to make the most of your watering efforts without wasting water.When you fill a waterslide or pool, you will soon notice that they consume large volumes of water. This situation is exacerbated if there are any leaks present, and you may have to refill a pool multiple times over the summer months. So, it’s a good idea to thoroughly check your pools and waterslides for leaks. If you can fix any water leaks earlier, you will save a lot of money on your water bills.
One of the most common causes of a higher than expected water bill is something that you use every day. When a toilet is leaking, it can waste an amazing 6,000 gallons of water each and every month! This would add hundreds of dollars to the water bill of an average home. The main cause of a leaky toilet is the flapper; this component in the toilet tank can be damaged or become stuck. This is pretty easy to fix with some simple parts that you can buy in any good hardware store.
Another possible source of a water leak could be a lateral line leak which may be caused by a loose joint or a crack somewhere along the lateral line. This can be caused by some seismic activity, construction work, or a root intrusion from trees. A professional plumber can fix the leak, and if you’re lucky, it will be possible to carry out a trenchless repair.
The final cause of water leaks could be one or more leaky faucets that can waste a surprising volume of water per month. In most cases, this is caused by a failed rubber gasket that needs to be replaced. This is an easy fix, you don’t need any special tools, and it’s easy to find instructions.
If you’re concerned about wasting water this summer, contact your local certified plumber today.
