If you have a dripping toilet, are worried about how much water is wasted because it’s constantly running, and the cost of your water bill has increased recently, then this blog post is for you. You’ll find out what causes a leaking toilet to drip and why that can increase your water bill.
You may not be aware but when there’s a leak in your plumbing system, whether it’s from an overflowing toilet or some other source like a faucet or sprinkler head problem, you’re wasting gallons of precious drinking water per day. And if left unchecked over time these leaks can lead to costly repairs on top of higher monthly bills due to the added usage.
How Much Water Does A Dripping Toilet Use?
How much water does a dripping toilet waste on a daily basis?
The average leaking toilet wastes about 200 gallons of water per day. This adds up to a staggering 72,000 gallons per year. If the leak was left undetected and unchecked you could be looking at thousands of dollars in wasted water bills annually.
Here in the Atlanta, Georgia area, if you use 6000 gallons of water per month, that will cost you about $33.00. So, if your toilet is leaking the average 200 gallons of water per day, that’s costing you an additional $33.00 in your water bill (on average).
Why Does My Toilet Keep Trickling Water?
Your toilet can trickle water into the bowl, into the tank or onto the floor. The solution to the problem depends on where the trickle is coming from.
If The Toilet Is Trickling Water Into The Bowl
If you notice that your toilet is trickling water into the bowl, this is often due to something called Phantom Flushing aka Ghost Flushing.
It’s not a spooky ghost that caused your toilet to run, but it may be just as eerie. That pesky phantom flusher is likely either due to the tank or bowl slowly leaking into each other without you noticing and creating an illusion of someone else using their bathroom too.
The most common reason for this is that the flapper in your toilet tank is getting old and needs replacing. It could have been installed incorrectly, or there might even be a design flaw in it.
If You Notice Trickling Water Into The Tank
Again, the most common cause of water trickling into your toilet tank is a problem with the flapper.
You will also want to check the tank to make sure that the float is working properly. If the float moves up when it should and down when it should, then the floats are fine.
Anytime you notice something dripping into your tank — especially if you already have a leaky toilet problem — we recommend just replacing your flapper right away with a new one.
Also, check the water level in the toilet tank. If it is too high, then that can cause water to trickle into the tank.
In rare cases, you may have a leak behind the toilet — often caused by old or corroded pipes — or in your plumbing walls above the tank. Of course, if you suspect a problem with your pipes, we recommend calling your plumber right away.
Plumbing problems don’t generally go away, they just get worse over time. Which means they can become more costly.
Does Phantom Flushing Waste Water?
Phantom flushing is a very common phenomenon that plagues almost every household in America.
Phantom flushing is the recurring act of your toilet filling up for no reason, usually due to a fill valve or flapper issue. You can waste as much as 200 gallons per day with this pesky problem!
So, the answer is absolutely YES. Phantom flushing problems definitely do waste water and increase your water bill.
What Happens If A Toilet Runs All Night?
A running toilet is a minor inconvenience to most people, but it can quickly turn into a major problem. It’s like turning on your faucet and not bothering to shut off the water until there are thousands of gallons wasted in just days!
Is that really possible?
Yes, it’s very likely. Toilets can lose more than 1 gallon per minute if they run for an extended period of time. If a toilet runs all night and through the next day, that could cost you $100 or more in water bills!
If you have any questions about saving money on your water bill or are having problems with a leaky toilet, call Atlantis Plumbing today at 770-443-8229. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.