Water is one the most important resources we need to survive and to keep up with modern society, yet this amazing resource can also cause severe damage to your home. In fact, water damage and the mold that in many cases results from it costs insurance companies billions per year in claims, each individual claim being several thousand dollars. To avoid spending large sums of money on repairs, it’s critical you protect your home from costly water damage.

Check your water pressure. Household water pressure is generally supposed to fall between 40 and 70 psi. Excessive water pressure can damage pipes, hoses, and plumbing fixture. To measure you water pressure, head to your local hardware store and buy a water pressure gauge, then attach it to an outdoor faucet. Turn the faucet to full force, and the gauge will tell you the pressure. If it’s around 100 psi or over, head back to the hardware store and get a water pressure regulator. These are small purchases that will save you thousands in water damage.

While you’re outdoors, clean out those gutters and downspouts at least twice a year to prevent blockages. When left unattended, these blockages in your gutters can keep water in place and cause damage to the gutters and the roof. Those downspouts should be cleaned too, but also make sure they point away from your home so water flows away.

Back inside, make sure you know where your water main is so you can shut off all water in case of an emergency. Most people have no clue where it is (and some don’t even know what it is), yet knowing how to get to your water main is one of the best ways to minimize water damage. 

Washing machine leaks are one of the leading causes of water damage in homes, but again, many people don’t realize the importance of changing them out. If any of your washer hoses are brittle, damaged, or warped, replace them immediately. You’ll then want to replace your washer hoses at least once every 5 years to prevent costly water damage to your home.

Your water heater is another important piece of plumbing to monitor. Check on it once a year, investigating for rust, corrosion, or other damage. Be on the lookout for pools of water or leaking as well.

Lastly, keep a close eye on your plumbing system. Signs of wear include condensation on the walls/floor nearby, rust-colored water, and loud pipes. You can try to fix your plumbing yourself, but sometimes it’s easier to call professionals. Barner Murphy’s here and ready to fix your aging plumbing before it turns into a messy, costly problem.

Note: check your water bill every so often. An unusually large water bill could indicate a leak somewhere around your home, and if left untreated, that leak could damage the area it’s leaking in to.

Water. Not only do we all need it to keep our bodies healthy, but many of our modern amenities rely on water to provide us amazing conveniences like warm showers and functioning toilets. However, many people use a lot more water than they think; using too much water can cost you a lot of extra cash, but environmental concerns surrounding water usage are also increasing. That being said, we’ve compiled some tips you can use to save on your water bill and help the planet.

First and foremost, cut down on baths. The EPA found that the average bathtub requires a whopping 70 gallons of water to fill up, whereas a 5-minute shower could use up to 25 gallons depending on the shower. Speaking of showers, keep them short. It might be tempting to stand in that warm shower for half an hour in the dead of winter, but you’re wasting a lot of water and you’ll have to get out eventually anyways.

Install a high-efficiency showerhead to further decrease your water usage. Many of these can save you up to a gallon per minutes. Assuming a 5-minute shower every day, that’s about 150 gallons saved per month. High-efficiency showerheads aren’t all expensive, either. They can be found in a wide range of prices, but some are as cheap as $10. That’s a small investment when you think of all the water you’ll save.

There’re plenty more water savings to be had in the bathroom, starting with the leaks. If your sink or toiled is leaky, you should repair it as soon as possible. Those drops of water could add up to hundreds more gallons a month. Unsure if your toilet is leaking? Add several drops of food coloring to the toilet tank and wait an hour. If the bowl has color in it, you have a leaky toilet. A plumber like Barner Murphy can handle leaks if you don’t want to.

When you’re brushing your teeth, turn off the water unless you’re wetting the toothbrush or rinsing it off. Same with activities like using mouthwash or shaving; don’t turn on the sink until you’re done with whatever activity it is or if you need to rinse something off.

Believe it or not, you could cut a lot of water usage when cooking, especially when it comes to vegetables. Fill up a large bowl with water and rinse your vegetables in there before peeling them rather than running them under the water.

Wait to do laundry or the dishes until you have a full load ready. Putting any less than a full load of laundry or dishes into it’s respective washer is effectively wasting water, as you’re going to use the same amount anyway (assuming you’re running it on the same settings). When it’s time to replace your washer or other water-using equipment, look for water-efficient models. As a bonus for your laundry efforts, you’ll also use less power (thus saving your more money) since you’ll be using both the washer and dryer less often.