Why Postponing Plumbing Repairs Will Cost You More in the Long Run

When times are tough, many of us tend to postpone repairs of any sort until we can scrape together enough cash. For myself, I have a terrible habit of postponing a visit by the plumber until I feel there's enough work to warrant a service call. At $90 a pop, I really hate to call him out for just a leaky flapper valve and a slow drip in the sink.

The problem with postponing a plumbing visit is that those negligible problems can add up to big bucks in the long run. Here's just a few of the things that can go expensively wrong when a homeowner postpones plumbing repairs.

Leaky toilets and sinks use incredible amounts of water. Did you know a leaky toilet wastes up to 23,000 gallons of water in a month? That volume of water has an incredible impact on both the water bill and sewer costs.

With the average cost of water at $1.50 per 1000 gallons, a leaky toilet will increase a monthly water bill by $34.50 and a sewer bill by 10% or more. And what about a leaky hot water faucet? Even a tiny drip can boost your power bill by as much as 25%. At these kind of prices, you'll be money ahead calling in a plumber sooner rather than later.

Structural damage. Not all leaks drip down into a faucet where they drain away. Some happen under sinks or behind the toilets where we fool ourselves into thinking that can be caught in a coffee can until we can afford to get the plumber out. The problem with pipe leaks is that pipe condensation can wick into the sheet rock and flooring, leading to warped floors, mold, and structural damage. Postponing a plumbing repair here can lead to hundreds (possibly thousands) of dollars in structurally damage.

Seized faucets. When we have a leaky faucet in a sink or tub that doesn't get used much, it is tempting to shut it off at the connection and wait until we can afford to get the plumber out. Unfortunately, (as I learned the hard way) some styles of faucets can lock up over time from lack of use. When this happens, the only solution is a complete faucet assembly replacement which could have been avoided by calling the plumber sooner.

When it comes to saving money, neglecting routine plumbing maintenance should never be an option. Those little drips and leaks tend to lead to bigger problems which can cost a homeowner hundreds of dollars in both wasted resources and property damage.

sources:

http://www.drinktap.org/kidsdnn/Portals/5/story_of_water/html/costs.htm