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Give your toilet a checkup
No matter what kind of toilet you have, test for leaks and "running". A leaky toilet can be the biggest water waster in your home! Even if you can't hear your toilet running, it still may have a leak.
How to: Leak detection is simple. First, flush the toilet. When it stops running, lift the back tank cover and place a few drops of food coloring into your toilet tank (note: this won’t work if you have one of those blue toilet cleaners). Don’t flush the toilet for 30 minutes. If the water in the bowl becomes colored, then you have a leak and you need a new flapper or flush valve.
Cost: $3 - $7
Average resource savings: 30 – 500 gallons of water per day
Average monetary savings: up to $1 per day
Celebrate your toilet's birthday
Check to see if you have a toilet born before 1993. Replacing an old toilet can save enormous amounts of water. The average older toilet uses 3.5 gallons per minute (gpm), but toilets made before 1993 can use up to 8 gpm. Low-flow or high-efficiency toilets use 1.6 gpm or less.
How to: The process of replacing an old toilet can be rather complicated for novices, and may be best left to a licensed plumber. Either way, before removing your old toilet, make sure the water supply is shut-off.
Cost: $100 - $700 (Rebates are available in many areas.)
Average resource savings: 15,150 gallons of water per year
Average monetary savings: $30 in water costs per year
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