Are You Flushing Your Money Down the Toilet?
One of the biggest, and sneakiest wasters of water in your home is your toilet. Water is a precious resource that needs to be conserved and used wisely and as many of us know, water leaks lead to big water bills. You may have only one, or you may have 2 or 3, but that sneaky little necessity that sits so unsuspectingly in your bathroom or laundry (or even in a room of its own) can be costing you more money than you think.
Leaking toilets are usually not really noticeable until the problem is quite significant, in which time has passed and you have already lost a fair amount of water and added to your water costs. As toilets are one of the most water-intensive fixtures in your house, it is thought that you may be losing up to 750L per day if your loo is leaking.
Toilet Problems?
The most common toilet problems include:
- Phantom Flushes – water trickling into the bowl after it has been flushed. This water continues to run for a long period of time, if not stopping at all.
- Water Tank Trickles – water trickling into the tank at the top of the toilet.
- Slow Bowl – a sign a blocked pipe or a problem further down the ‘line’.
- Leaky Seals – noticeable when hard water spots and corrosion or moisture is present around the pipe seals.
The prevalence of hard water in newer housing estates and the presence of more chemicals in our community water supply contributes significantly to the wear and tear of our home fixtures, especially if they are made of plastic, rubber or metal. Rust and sediment forms easily on metal, allowing the fixture to become brittle and break easily, as with plastic and rubber.
Who to Call About Your Leaking Toilet?
The team at Mainline Plumbing and Cheap Hot Water and gas have almost 40 years experience in plumbing in the South West. They have the knowledge, tools and expertise to install, repair and/or maintain your plumbing and can offer great advice when it comes to saving money on your water bill. Give Mainline Plumbing and Cheap Hot Water a call today on 9791 1608 (Bunbury) or 9759 1317 (Dunsborough).
Remember we also do emergencies 24/ 7 every day of the year including public holidays, Christmas and Easter. “Who you gonna call?” Your trusted plumbing professionals Mainline Plumbing and Cheap Hot Water.
The cause for your wall’s new complexion may be contributed to a few factors, however the main culprit is usually water damage. Water damage occurs to interior walls when a plumbing pipe is leaking significantly and water is sitting in your wall cavity. It usually presents at the bottom of the wall in a corner, the best place for water to drip down and pool inside the wall and generally in the room opposite.
Call your Plumber Immediately
Water damage to walls and flood damage caused by faulty appliances or severe weather conditions are different issues and are treated as such on your insurance policy. Any water damage that occurs due to lack of maintenance or gradual leaks may not be included in your policy. Double check the fine print to make sure you are covered, as hard water in many suburbs is a contributing factor to leaking pipes and this issue is becoming more common, even in newer homes.
Whilst it’s not always the most popular topic of conversation, the toilet is one of the most essential working appliances in your home. Everybody uses it and when problems arise with it, everybody knows about it. Gone are the days of trotting out to the back garden in the freezing cold or pouring rain to sit amongst the flies and mosquitos to get the job done, however the marvels of modern day technology are of little benefit when your 
Ask any parent and they’ll tell you that a lot more than what’s suitable goes into the toilet. Substantial amounts of toilet paper or non-flushable items, as well as things that some might think are good to flush but are definitely not (baby wipes, paper towel, sanitary products, nappies), cause clogging of the drains that can become big problems further down the line if not rectified quickly. Older toilets are typically low flow and can experience significantly more blockages than newer models.
Sounds In Other Drains When Flushing
With the vast amount of information on the internet, many people are choosing to DIY a significant number of their household repairs. From fixing the guttering to servicing your car, more and more people are attempting their own fix it jobs, often with disastrous results. There is a reason tradesmen train for so long in their chosen trade and as home and business owners, we need to take advantage of the skilled and diverse workforce we have to choose from when it comes to finding a professional to install, repair or maintain our investments, no matter how small.
Correct Tools and Safety Equipment
Any major changes with your plumbing fixtures, water supply, septic/sewerage, you must be law call a licenced plumber. For any gas works you need a plumber who also has a gas fitter’s licence.
Older homes, those located on acreage or in rural communities without access to sewage will have a septic tank on the property. These are large, underground tanks are usually composed of concrete but can be made from fibreglass, PVC or plastic and they are the primary storage for your household wastewater. An absorption method is always implemented so that when the waste is decomposed through bacterial activity, it has a way to drain into the surrounding soil. However, septic tanks are not a ‘leave a forget’ system of wastewater management and will often need 
Have you noticed nasty smells coming from the garden? A wet patch or super green grass above your septic tank? Is the water draining slowly and your pipes smell bad? These can all be signs that there is a problem with your septic tank; more than likely it is too full. Resist the urge to pour any kind of chemicals or cleaning agents down the drains in an attempt to dissolve the wastewater; call your licensed plumber.
2. Environmentally Friendly
Due to its many applications, natural gas safety standards on appliances are strict and all precautions and training is undertaken by professionals to ensure maximum compliance. An odour is added to natural gas as a means to detect leaks and even though natural gas is dissipated into open air more quickly than other heavier fuels, a licensed gas fitter should always be called to address any safety or maintenance issues with natural gas appliances or pipes.
Blocked pipes are a disaster waiting to happen and although they take time to accumulate to become a big problem, prevention is simple and a lot more cost-effective than time and money spent unclogging and repairing the pipes.
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