You can cut your Calgary water bill by fixing small leaks and using less water at home. A dripping faucet or a running toilet wastes hundreds of litres a month. Here are simple plumbing fixes that lower your monthly utility cost.
Hunt Down Silent Leaks First
Silent leaks are the ones you never hear or see. They still show up on your City of Calgary water bill. One leaky toilet can waste up to 750 litres a day. Over a month that adds up fast. Start by checking every toilet, faucet, and hose bib in the house. Look under sinks for damp spots or green stains on copper pipe. Feel around the base of each toilet for moisture. Catching these early keeps your bill low and protects your floors. If the drips keep coming back, our plumbing services can find the source.
Test Your Toilet with Food Coloring
Your toilet is the most likely spot for a hidden leak. Here is an easy test. Take the lid off the tank. Add a few drops of food coloring to the water. Wait 15 minutes and do not flush. Then look in the bowl. If you see color in the bowl, your flapper leaks. The flapper is the rubber seal at the bottom of the tank. Hard water in Calgary wears these out fast. A new flapper costs a few dollars at any hardware store. Swap it out and the leak stops.
Fix a Running Toilet Fast
A running toilet is loud and costly. You can often fix it in ten minutes. First, check the flapper and the chain. A chain that is too tight holds the flapper open. A worn flapper will not seal. Next, look at the fill valve and the float. If the water sits too high, it drains into the overflow tube. Bend the float arm down or adjust the clip. Most toilet repair kits cost under 20 dollars. If the toilet still runs after new parts, our plumbing team can sort it out in one visit.
Stop Drips and Add Low-Flow Aerators
A slow drip seems harmless. It is not. One drip per second wastes about 11,000 litres a year. Most drips come from a worn washer or cartridge inside the faucet. New parts are cheap and easy to install. While you are there, add low-flow aerators to your faucets. An aerator screws onto the tip of the faucet. It mixes air with the water and cuts the flow by half. A low-flow showerhead does the same in the bathroom. You still get good pressure. You just use less water. These small swaps show up on your next bill.
Run Full Loads and Save Every Day
Your dishwasher and washing machine use the same water for a small load or a full one. So wait until they are full before you run them. This one habit saves water and power. A few more easy wins help too.
- Turn off the tap while you brush your teeth.
- Keep showers under five minutes.
- Fix that dripping outdoor hose bib before spring.
- Only run the dishwasher when it is packed full.
- Keep a jug of water in the fridge instead of running the tap cold.
None of these cost money. They all lower the number on your water bill.
Check Your Water Meter for Hidden Leaks
Your water meter can find leaks you cannot see. Most Calgary homes have a meter in the basement or utility room. Turn off every tap and water-using appliance. Write down the meter reading. Wait two hours with no water use. Check the meter again. If the number moved, you have a hidden leak. It could be a toilet, a pipe in the wall, or a line under the slab. Many homes built between 1985 and 1997 have grey Poly-B pipe that fails at the joints. A leak like that needs a licensed plumber. Our plumbing services cover both the pipes and the drains, so one team finds it and fixes it.
When to Call RR Calgary
Most of these fixes are easy for a handy homeowner. Some leaks hide deeper. If your bill stays high after you check the toilets and faucets, give us a call. RR Calgary Plumbing & Drains has served Calgary, Airdrie, Cochrane, and Chestermere since 1996. Our technicians are certified journeyman plumbers, so one team handles your plumbing and your drains. There is no travel fee in those four cities. Request service online or call us at (403) 250-2660.