Ever wondered what would happen if you turned on the faucet and no water came out?

Threats of water shortages are around us. The future trends in the water supply aren’t looking good for us, and the water demand will be outpacing the supply soon.

But when you hear how much water we waste only because of a leaky faucet, it makes you think if we can avert these threats by fixing every single leak in the house.

Even if you don’t think in that scale, it may still surprise you that you’re wasting so much water and money due to leaks you may not even realize are present in your house.

With that said, how much water does a leaky faucet waste? Find out the answer to that and some more facts below.

1. How Much Water Does a Leaky Faucet Waste?

Leakage in an average home can amount to 10,000 gallons of wasted water per year. Not only that, but 10% of those homes are leaking as much as 90 gallons per day.

Nationwide, around 1 trillion gallons of water go to waste. This equates to the water usage of over 11 million homes.

2. All That Wasted Water Can Help the California Drought

The household water leaks produce wastage can help the California drought by a significant amount. 

To put that into perspective, NASA says that the state has a water deficit of 11 trillion gallons. 1 trillion is 9%, which can already bring water to over 11 million homes in the state.

3. Water Leaks are More Common Than You Think

About 1 in 12 homes – that’s 8.1% of all homes in the U.S. – experience water damage due to leaks inside their homes. How much water does a leaky faucet waste? We stated above one home can leak up to 90 gallons, therefore 8.1% of all US homes can lead to 11.4 billion gallons of water lost per day!

Undetected leaks cause the most damage to a home. It can cause rots in the structure of the house, compromising its integrity. It doesn’t only lead to deformed structure, but dangerous situations, as well.

It also promotes mold and fungal growth, causing various health issues for the inhabitants.

4. Damages From Water Leaks Cost Billions

All these damages can add up in a blink of an eye. After a year, you’ll be looking at over $6 billion worth of property damage in the whole U.S.

The bad news is that it’s not typical for insurance policies to cover water damage from leaks that have gone on for a long time. Homeowners often have to pay for the repair of pipes and the resulting damage fixed out of their own pockets.

This is disappointing since it’s inexpensive to fix a single leak.

5. The Cost to Fix a Single Leak is Only Around $150

A single leak can waste gallons of water every year, costing homeowners thousands in water waste and property damage.

Why wait until it has wreaked enough havoc, though, when you can have it fixed for only $150 to $350 on average?

A leaking faucet wasting a drop a second can already give you 180 more showers per year. In gallons, that’s over 3,000 gallons of water.

6. Fixing a Leak Can Get You Huge Savings

Did you know that if only homeowners fixed the water leaks in their home, they can save up to 10% in their water bills? That’s according to the source that said a household’s leak can go up to 10,000 gallons.

That doesn’t include all the cash you’ll save because you won’t have to spend on expensive repairs and damages.

7. Your Average Winter Water Consumption Shouldn’t Exceed 12,000 Gallons

A family of four shouldn’t be using more than 12,000 gallons per month in the winter.

If they exceed that point, this can be indicative of a water leak. It may even be a sign that you’re dealing with serious water leaks.

Observe your water consumption and bills to see if they’re rising. Even if you’re unsure, a visit from a plumber will help you detect any water leak.

8. The Winter Months Carry Another Risk

Another risk you should watch out for during the colder months are freezing pipes. Frozen pipes are prone to bursting, which will drench your home in cold water.

If the pipes ended up surviving the frost, they’ll have to then pass through the rising temperatures. As the temperature becomes hotter, the frozen pipes will begin to thaw.

This is when you’ll see leaks, and if you’re unlucky, it could still cause pipes to burst.

9. Toilets Are One of the Most Common Causes of Leaks

Toilet bowls always have water sitting in it, which means it can be hard to detect a water leak. This leads to gallons of water wasted per year. You can do a little experiment, though.

Add a few drops of food coloring into the tank, close it, then wait. If the water in the toilet bowl starts to stain, it means it’s leaking. Flush it right after your experiment as it might stain the insides of your toilet.

10. A Warm Floor Can Indicate Water Leaks

Your floor is feeling a little warmer than normal? That might signal more than a hotter day – it can be a sign that a hot water pipe is leaking underneath.

If you can feel it, it might also mean the problem is bigger than a few drops leaking. Investigate or call a professional to help you deal with it ASAP.

11. Professional Plumbers Have Special Tools to Detect Leaks

A professional plumber is who you need for detecting leaks behind walls, in your ceilings, and other parts of the house. They know how to determine if there’s a leak and where the leak is coming from.

They also have gadgets and tools to find the leak and then fix them without delay. An example of which is an amplifier that helps them locate where the leak is using their sense of hearing.

Call a Local Plumber for Leak Detections

After knowing how much water does a leaky faucet waste, you should now take measures to prevent leaks and to detect them as soon as possible. Always leave it to a professional so you don’t waste any more time.

Even if you only suspect a leak, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Contact us for any plumbing-related needs, including detecting leaks and fixing your pipes.