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Fix your Leaking Taps and Toilets

Leaking taps can be damn expensive, apart from being irritating. “Drip! Drip! Drip!” the water drops hit the sink bowl keeping you up all night. The annoying noise adds to the misery by wasting water. Did you know you could be losing up to 20,000 litres of water every year from that leaking tap?
The environmental and financial impact of leaking taps and toilets cannot just be wished away. Here’s everything you need to know about faulty taps and toilets;
What causes your tap to continue to leak?

Every home has at least once dealt with this menace of water dripping from their faucets. It is commonly believed to be caused by loose or broken washers. Modern taps and faucets use rubber washers or ceramics which form a seal that prevents them from leaking when shut.
There are three parts of a standard tap which when worn out can cause a leak. They include;

• The washer
• The O-ring
• The jumper valve

You should check out with your plumber to find out if any of these parts need replacement. Another common culprit is the valve seat. The valve seat is prone to corrosion and may cause dripping in faulty taps.

Why you shouldn’t ignore that drop of water from the leaking tap

If you continue to ignore your leaking shower head and ever-flushing toilet, loss of sleep will be the least of your problems. Here is why;
Leaking taps and pipes form patches of dampness on your walls and ceilings. The moisture attracts growth of moulds and algae. These plants eat into your wall leading to expensive damages. Soon enough, your wall paint will be peeling off. The water leaking may flow down to your basement and foundations leading to flooding which weakens the support structure of your home.

It may lead to you and your family being evacuated for a while

1. Damage to your walls, floors, and ceilings
when the repairs are being done. Floor tiles below leaking taps also suffer from the excess moisture. The tiles are damaged leading to a cumbersome job of replacing them.

2. Souring water bills

Try placing a container under the leaking sink tap and observe how much water you may collect. The metered water continues to run leading to your billings becoming expensive. With thousands of litres dripping from your faulty taps and toilet cisterns yearly, the water bills will continue to rise. With the climate change and decreasing rainfall patterns being recorded across the country, there is an increase in demand for this precious commodity. The demand has led to the water rates to continue to rise dramatically. Leaving the tap to leak away will put a considerable dent to your wallet.

3. Health hazard

As mentioned earlier, the damp areas on the walls and floors attract mould, mildew and algae growth. These plants pose a health hazard not only to you but your whole family. Mould has been documented to produce mycotoxins. These are harmful chemicals that cause allergic reactions, hypersensitivity and even respiratory problems. Moreover, stagnant water on your floors poses a threat through accidents. Your kids may easily slide and injure themselves from the water spilled on the floor.

4. Expensive costs and repairs
For leaky hot water taps, the electricity and gas bills also join in the souring water bills. The electricity bills also rise for homes that require pumping water through their pipes. A leak in the tap ultimately destroys its structure, requiring replacement of the entire tap system. In addition to the repairs to damaged floors, walls, and ceilings, replacement of whole tap parts increases the repair costs.

DIY vs. Professional plumber

You may feel the need to repair the leaking tap yourself. After all, it’s cheaper than getting to hire a professional water plumber. You might be wrong. The fixing of these washers and valve seats requires precision. A faulty installation may lead to greater leaking and even flooding to your house. It’s recommendable that you get it fixed professionally and arrest this problem before it spirals out of control.

For all your leaking taps and toilet repairs, feel free to contact us. We at McMurray plumbing are ready to respond to your emergency in a fast, affordable and friendly manner. We also do professional tap and toilet installations. Give us a call today and get a free quote on phone.