When it comes to leaks in the bathroom, prevention is just as important as conducting a timely repair. Most property owners do not have time or expertise to periodically check every toilet for minor leaks or damage, so they end up paying more on water and sewer bills. As a result, many serious issues remain hidden or ignored until they become building and property disasters and a health risk. A proactive approach is to use smart water monitors to protect you from losses and complications.
Leaks come in many forms—like dripping faucets or cracked pipes—but leaking toilets are one of the most common. When that happens, the leak may be a few gallons per day, or several thousand gallons per day. This challenge intensifies as water and sewer rates continue to climb, and the water and sewer bill losses are difficult to recover. Further, leaking water can be a major cause of damage to property beyond the increased bills. This includes mold and mildew remediation, which can be costly and dangerous to the health of those near the damage.
Leaking toilets are rarely addressed, instead we just jiggle the handle until the sound goes away. Contributing to difficulty in diagnosis and repairs for leaking toilets, it can take an entire day for someone to determine where and how urgent the issue is when multiple bathrooms are involved. Today, it is vital to be proactive about leak detection. Water monitors that detect a leak, notify you of the location, and show how severe it is, can help you determine how quickly you should address the repair. This can help homeowners avoid damage or loss claims and decrease expenses for both themselves and their insurance company.
Part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s “Save Our Water” campaign aimed at reducing household consumption by 20% through conservation measures, suggested leaky toilets and plumbing account for an estimated 10% of total residential and multifamily consumption each year—almost 3 trillion gallons per year in wasted water alone! The reason: People do not know how much water is lost until the bill arrives and it is gone.
It is significantly easier to avoid a crisis once you are more aware of problems, when they happen, the severity of the leaks, and their location. It reduces claims, saves you money, protects property value, and safeguards your health and wellbeing!
However, the No. 1 reason to act on leak prevention is that it shows how much you care about our limited resources. You care about the environment, and you care about preserving the value of your property. Caring means being proactive to find leaks—and fixing them quickly. Investing in water monitoring and leak detection solutions helps keep the property running smoothly and efficiently while preventing issues before they overtake you.
Natalie Tague
Natalie Tague is a head designer at FlowActive, where she leads the communications team. She has a dual-degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where she specialized in designing systems for communicating pieces of information for non-experts. Prior to working at FlowActive, Tague worked as a marketing graphic designer, where she developed materials and implementation strategies for large-scale events. Her philosophy is centered at the intersection of the human experience, the natural world, and the digital age. To learn more about water monitoring, visit www.flowactive.com.
