Village of Ashville, Ohio

Tubs and Toilets

Tubs and showers have seals designed to keep water moving down drains and to the sewer. Sometimes, a seal is faulty. For a homeowner, this can create a disaster, especially if the leak isn’t noticed for a long time. Toilets also have seals that ensure water drains to the appropriate place. Leaks in bathrooms go undetected because they’re typically in places where you can’t see the evidence immediately. Water may have been soaking into subflooring for months, where it creates the perfect environment for mold growth.

The first sign of a tub or toilet leak may be stains on the ceiling or joists in the area below the bathroom.

 A toilet leak is a common problem that can often be overlooked but be the cause of your higher water bill. Sure, you can jiggle the handle but that’s only a temporary fix. Some causes of a running toilet could mean a faulty stop valve or floater switch. To fix it, carefully remove the lid and place it in a safe spot. You will see a large bulb inside and that is the part that must be replaced in order to fix it permanently.

Clogs

Clogs are often seen as nothing more than an annoyance. While this may be true, they can also be the cause of a leaky pipe. When a clog goes untreated, pressure can build up behind it. This pressure can be too much for a pipe, causing it to crack or break. Some types of clogs can also have corrosive substances in them, such as a cleaner, which can expedite damage to the pipe and eat through the metal. If you develop a clog in any pipe in your home, it’s essential to address it as soon as possible.

Water heaters generally have an 8- to 12-year lifetime before they give up on providing you with that nice hot shower. Sometimes, you know when a water heater is wearing out, and you can be proactive about either repairing or replacing it. It’s not unusual, however, to be blissfully unaware of a problem until you realize you have a small creek in your basement. Time to call a plumber!

Water Softener Leaking from The Top

Common Culprit #1: Rotor Valve

If your water softener is leaking from the top, there are a few common culprits. One of these is the rotor valve. This valve is the source of water for the softener. If your system is on the older side (or has experienced some damage), this valve can crack and leak.

This valve also contains a seal. If you don’t notice any cracks on the valve itself, the seals inside may be damaged and to blame for the leak. In either scenario, you’ll need to contact a professional with access to replacement parts for your softener.

Common Culprit #2: O-Rings in Bypass Valve

Another potential cause of a water softener leaking from the top is defective bypass valve o-rings. As part of water softener maintenance, you occasionally need to have a professional lubricate these o-rings to keep them functional. As the system reaches the 20-year mark (which is how long softeners typically last) you may need to replace the o-rings altogether.

Water Softener Leaking from The Bottom

Common Culprit: A Punctured Brine Tank

If your water softener is leaking from the bottom, it is almost certainly a brine tank issue. The brine tank is where you place salt. A water softener that’s leaking at the base is usually caused by an overly aggressive attempt to clear a salt bridge.

If you’re certain you didn’t cause damage to the tank yourself, contact the company that installed it for you. The issue may be covered under warranty.

Water Powered Sump Pump

A water powered sump pump uses 1 gallon of your village’s water to pump out either 1 or 2 gallons of water from your sump pump basin. Using the ratio of 1 to 2 at 1,000 Gallons Per Hour (GPH), this system will use 5,000 gallons of water to prevent 10.000 gallons from flooding the basement. Another fact is that a water powered sump pump requires a minimum of 20 PSI to operate. Since it does use water, and if it runs a unabated have you consider the cost to operate?

Some water powered sump pumps are not maintenance-free. Their instruction manual states a filter needing to be installed in the water supply line to remove particles before they reach the pump. These pumps need to be manually activated once a month to prevent calcium deposits and debris from building up in the unit, or the pump may fail.

The water powered sump pumps operate quietly which is a nice feature. Except when the ON/OFF switch breaks, because it can break in the ON position, which means the pump will run continuously using your home water supply.

James Welsh, Water Operator, worked with a resident that noticed a doubling of their water bill. Mr. Welsh discovered the water powered sump pump was coming on every few minutes. While this may be better than water in the basement, it can be a very expensive alternative to electricity. A thousand gallons of water will cost $19.81. The estimated usage for a water powered sump pump is 180 gallons per hour or 4,320 per day or  129,600 per month. It is not likely that it would operate continuously but you can see by the numbers it could become expense.  $86 for 24 hours that could be spread over a number of days.  

You may hear a water powered sump pump is a “Green” alternative or will cost less for the equipment set-up. This article is not to tell you what to do but to inform you about the possible results of not monitoring your sump pump.

Some municipalities will not approve a water powered sump pump because of the wasted drinking water. There is also a concern about a water line being connected to a sump pump discharge line carrying “greywater”, in case there is a backup from the sump pump.