Frugal Friday- Toilet Talk…

Let’s talk potty. Not dirty talk- about your toilet. Your toilet has potential for savings. Did you know that 40% of your fresh water in your house is flushed down the toilet? I am sure you have heard it before, but I am going to remind you how you can start flushing water and not money down the loo. (ok, I think I got enough puns in for one day. Sorry!)

First thing, take some food coloring (red or blue works best) and put a few drops in the back tank and don’t flush. If after 15-20 minutes you see any of the color appear on the bowl, than you need to make some repairs to the flapper or purchase a new one that fits tightly. I have replaced the entire “get up” a few times on my own and it is a very easy and inexpensive repair. This may sound like an somewhat unimportant repair to make, but it’s not. It is similar to a constant leaking faucet, which most people would not leave untouched.

Secondly, while you are peeping around in the back of your tank, why not put a large glass or plastic bottle filled with water back in the tank to take up some space and save some water? If you already have a low flow toilet, then this is really optional, but I have to admit that I still displace some of the water in mine. You can also purchase water displacers in your home improvement stores, but I found homemade ones last longer. I have read some places you can use rocks or put sand in your bottle, but I don’t suggest it. The extra sediment from these adds to the disintegration of the flapper and other devices more quickly.

I read somewhere this past month that for every toilet that had these repairs made and a water displacer put in, one gallon of water per toilet per day would be saved. I have 3 toilets - that’s 3 gallons of water a day! Here in my part of Florida, water is an expensive commodity. Few people in my area have wells and we have water restrictions constantly with hefty fines for someone breaking the law and watering their yard on an unspecified day. In my neighborhood, neighbors turn other neighbors in for this stuff. My parents, who live up north, do have a well, but in the summertime are constantly battling having enough water to make it through the day. Once again making these few changes not only save a few dollars every month, but also help save a natural commodity in our environment!