Helpful Tips

• Even small drips can waste thousands of gallons of water, as much as 150 gallons a day! Be sure to check under sinks for moisture or small leaks. And always repair leaky faucets right away to avoid paying for wasted water, and also to avoid water damage to your fixtures and pipes.
• Remove and clean your faucet aerators annually to ensure an even flow of water.
• Make sure overflow holes on tubs and vanity are clear and open to prevent water damage to floors and ceilings.

• Before doing any maintenance on your water heater yourself, be sure to shut off the power, and read your owner's manual.
• You should also periodically inspect your water heater burner. The flame under the heater should appear blue with yellow tips. If it’s mostly yellow, or if it’s sooty under there, your flue may be clogged, which is a dangerous situation. Contact a professional to check it out.
• At least once every two years, have your water heater inspected by a service technician. He or she will also check the drain valve for signs of leakage, and the anode rods for corrosion.

• Toilet leaks can be wasteful and expensive. At least once a year, check your toilet for leaks by adding a small amount of red food coloring to the tank, and then check the toilet bowl later. If the toilet bowl water is colored red, water is seeping through from the tank. If it is leaking, you should replace the tank ball.
• Never flush personal hygiene wipes through your toilet, they are to be disposed of in a trash can. Yes, even the ones marketed as flushable!

• To help prevent clogs, fit all your tubs and shower drains with a strainer that catches hair and soap chips, and clean the strainer regularly.
• Do not rinse fats or cooking oils down the kitchen sink. Liquid fats solidify in the cold pipes and create clogs.
• Avoid using caustic liquid drain openers (like Drano or Liquid Plumber) on a drain that is completely clogged. The caustic ingredients are trapped in your pipes, and it can severely damage them. If you can’t snake the drain yourself, contact a professional to do so.

You can extend the life of your garbage disposal by: 

• Using plenty of cold water when running it.
• Making sure you avoid overloading it.
• Never disposing of things like bones or corn husks.
• Never using a caustic drain opener.

Outside

• Water only when needed without over watering. Use a timer to avoid over watering.
• Keep in mind your soil only absorbs a limited amount of water. Avoid runoff by setting automatic sprinklers to provide thorough but infrequent watering.
• Make sure sprinklers cover the landscaped areas without spraying or running onto driveways or walkways.
• Water during the cool parts of the day to help prevent water loss and evaporation.
• To minimize evaporation use sprinklers that throw large drops of water rather than a fine mist.
• During the summer, set your mower blade higher. Tall grass will shade the soil providing better moisture retention.
• Use compost or mulch to prevent water run off.
• Use a broom rather than water to clean driveways or walkways.

Inside

• Turn off faucets while brushing teeth or shaving.
• Install water efficient fixtures such as low flow showerheads and faucet aerators.
• Test for toilet leaks. Add food coloring to the toilet tank and do not flush the toilet. Watch to see if the coloring appears in the toilet bowl within a few minutes. If so, the toilet has a leak.
• Take shorter showers.
• Run only full loads of laundry in your washing machine or dishes in your dishwasher. This will save water and energy.