Small Water Leaks Mean Big Costs
Conserving water has become "the name of the game." Builders install high-efficiency showerheads, low-flow sinks and toilets and rain gardens in green buildings, but plumbing leaks can still waste water.
Homeowners can tell when their toilets overflow or their basements flood, but many leaks prove subtle. Copper pipes can develop pinholes, and plumbing systems can fail, causing the small drips and drops that reduce water efficiency.
Wasted water adds up for homeowners. A pipe dripping one drop of water each second will lose nearly 3,104 gallons of water each year -; a loss homeowners do not want to see on their water bills.
Currently, leaks account for 13.7 percent of homes' water use. The homeowner must pay for this wasted water and, worse yet, must pay for damage it causes. Even a small leak can encourage mold growth. Mold, a major indoor allergy source, can reduce indoor air quality and is nearly impossible to remove completely.
Leaks usually prove easy and inexpensive fixes if people can detect them. New technologies, like "circuit-breakers" for pipes, are now allowing homeowners to detect small leaks before they become big problems. Like an electrical circuit breaker, which protects electrical wires from overloads, these new products automatically shut off extra water flow.
"Popular Science" magazine noted one product, the FloLogic System, for its revolutionary idea. FloLogic is able to monitor an entire home's plumbing system from one location in the water main. When the flow through the system's sensor exceeds a preset limit, the product shuts off the water and sounds an alarm at the keypad. The alarm can also be linked to home security systems.
Systems like the FloLogic can save homes from floods caused by broken pipes or accidental water waste -; like when children leave the garden hose running. Some insurance companies give discounts to homeowners using FloLogic, creating an extra benefit.
No one can afford to waste water. For more information about water conservation and the FloLogic System, visit www.flologic.com or call 1-877-FloLogic.
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