DIY Fixes to Stop Water Waste and Save Money

Many common household leaks are manageable with a little DIY spirit and maybe a trip to your local hardware store. But knowing when to roll up your sleeves and when to call in the pros can save you serious cash in the long run.

The quick wins and obvious culprits

Let's start with the simple stuff like fixing that dripping faucet, replacing a toilet flapper, and tightening some connections. These easy wins can definitely save money and water:

That annoying dripping faucet

It's been driving you crazy for weeks, going drip, drip, drip all night long, but that single drip per second is wasting thousands of litres annually. Most of the time, it's just a worn-out washer or some gunk messing with the works. Turn off the water supply under the sink, open the faucet to drain it, then take a peek at the washer or gasket. If it looks crusty or cracked, grab a replacement from the hardware store for under five bucks. Clean off any debris while you're at it as sometimes that's all it takes.

The toilet that won't quit

Running toilets are sneaky water wasters, sometimes burning through hundreds of litres daily without you even realising. Drop some food colouring in the tank and wait about twenty minutes. If colour shows up in the bowl, you've got a leak. Nine times out of ten, it's either the flapper valve (that rubber thing at the bottom of the tank) not sealing properly, or the fill valve needs adjusting. The flapper might be warped or have mineral buildup, preventing a tight seal. They're cheap to replace and usually just lift right out. For constantly running water, try lifting the fill valve arm, and if the water stops, you just need to adjust it so the water level stays below the overflow pipe.

Other easy catches

If your showerhead has around ten drips per minute, that wastes about 1800 litres yearly. Often, you can fix this by tightening connections with some pipe tape or swapping out a worn washer. Take a walk around your house and check appliances too. Look for puddles around your dishwasher, washing machine, or water heater. Tightening connections or replacing old rubber hoses with reinforced steel-braided ones can prevent major headaches down the road.

When things get complicated

Sure, you can slap some tape and epoxy on a cracked pipe for a "quick fix," but what happens when that temporary solution fails at 2 AM and floods your basement?

The scariest leaks are the ones you can't see. Maybe your water bill suddenly jumped for no obvious reason, or you're hearing water running when everything should be off. Those damp spots on walls, peeling paint, or that weird musty smell that won't go away aren't just cosmetic issues; they're red flags screaming that water is going where it shouldn't.

A small leak behind a wall can turn into a massive mould problem, structural damage, or worse. By the time you see the damage on the surface, there might be thousands of dollars' worth of destruction happening inside your walls.

Call Good Maintenance when things get a little hairy

Professional plumbers, like the ones at Good Maintenance, bring way more to the table than just better tools (though our equipment is pretty impressive). We've got leak detection devices that can pinpoint problems through walls without tearing up your house, specialised cameras that see inside pipes, and techniques like trenchless pipe replacement that seemed like science fiction just a few years ago.

More importantly, we can spot problems before they become disasters. A good plumber doing routine maintenance might catch a corroding pipe or failing valve before it floods your home. That preventive approach saves you from emergency calls, water damage, and sky-high repair bills. Plus, all of our licensed professionals carry insurance and offer warranties on their work. If something goes wrong, you're protected.

Quality plumbing leads to more than just stopping water waste; it's protecting your home, your wallet, and your peace of mind for years to come. Call Good Maintenance today to make sure the water in your home is only going to the right places.