Save Money, Fix Your Drips

Hi again,

Dripping faucets drip more than water.
They drip money - cold hard cash (as some say).

Imagine that drip turning into spare change every day.

$0.06 per day
$1.92 per month
$23.08 per year  (That's a pretty good run to the bottle depot).
(based on $1.96/cubic meter or 1000L of water)


 REMEMBER:  That is only the cost water ... for one single dripping faucet.
There are also waste water charges.....
......and heating costs
(notice the picture:  it is usually the hot water dripping)

We were recently in one home (recently purchased older home), the bathroom faucet was dripping (see picture above), the shower was a continuous stream type of drip, and finally the outside faucet (hose bibb) had a steady drip.




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A slow leak of 60 drips per minute wastes:

Daily waste in liters/litres: 32.71

Monthly (30 days) waste in liters/litres: 981.3

Yearly waste in liters/litres: 11939.15

 

SOURCE: American Water Works Association:  Drip Calculator

 http://www.awwa.org/resources-tools/public-affairs/public-information/dripcalculator.aspx
PLEASE NOTE:  The EPCOR drip calculator does not match (not even close) the AWWA drip calculator.  We will be checking out this discrepancy with EPCOR - Edmonton's water utility.

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 The other thing to consider is that leaks only get worse, not better.
If you leave it too long, it will be like turning on the faucet ..... and leaving it on/
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Usually, in our experience, it happens to a faucet that cannot not be isolated (with a shut-off valve that works or even exists).  Now to stop the flow, you have to turn off the main shut-off valve in the basement (by the water meter).  In older houses, these valves start to leak from the stem (the thing that the handle is connected to), if constantly turned on and off.

As you can see, this could easily turn into quite a "plumbing emergency".
We know what this means - more money for your typical plumber to stop what he's doing right this minute to attend to your emergency.  A costly proposition .... especially if it is in the middle of the night on a weekend.
 
Yeah, sure there are emergencies. 
But if you have known about that "drip" for over a month, should it really be an emergency?
That's why we have this blog. 
To educate homeowners on "plumbing reality."
EITHER everything will turn into a plumbing emergency ....
... OR you can start paying attention to drips, leaks, etc
AND take action to prevent a future emergency from taking place.

IF you live in NORTH Edmonton,
in your own home (single detached house),
we have a SPECIAL OFFER  for you.
PLEASE CLICK HERE for details:  http://www.journeymanjay.com/p/blog-page.html


Sincerely,

Jay Bortnik
Journeyman Jay Plumbing
780-266-3939

Is your plumbing GREEN?

Environmental (GREEN) solutions are all the rage these days.

However, there is a different kind of GREEN that you should be familiar with....

The GREEN sticker from the City of Edmonton Plumbing Inspector.


Why is this important?

If you are creating a new bathroom or moving a fixture (toilet, sink, tub) to another location a plumbing permit is required.  One way to know that you have a "real" plumber doing the job for you is his/her ability to get a City of Edmonton Plumbing Permit.  If they cannot obtain a plumbing permit then they are either not a real plumber or real business.  The permit process (which is governed by the aptly named "Safety Codes Act of Alberta') is there to protect you, the home owner, from overtly dangerous conditions that could arise.  It is also there to protect the water and sewage system as a whole.

The GREEN "pass" sticker (in Edmonton - I am not sure about how they pass plumbing in other jurisdictions) is a visible indication that the plumber/plumbing business, which you have engaged to do the work, has at least passed the minimum standards laid out in the Plumbing Code of Canada (and Alberta).
In other words, your plumber is NOT a quack.  It is too bad they don't have this for other professions.


Thank you,

Jay Bortnik
Journeyman Jay Plumbing
780-266-3939