“I love wasting money on my house,” said no homeowner ever. Problem is, though, that you may underestimate how much certain so-called minor household problems are costing you. Take, for example, your plumbing system. As long as nothing major goes wrong, you can safely ignore drips, leaks, and equipment that doesn’t work quite up to par, right? Wrong, wrong, wrong! These small issues can cost you bigtime unless you take care of them pronto. Find out how.

Dripping Faucet

Do you have a faucet that continues to drip even after you turn it off? You might think that that small trickle of leaking water is really no big deal, but it actually adds up faster than you might expect, to a loss of as much as 3,000 gallons a year. Stop wasting this valuable resource and start saving money. Leaky faucet repair is a DIY fix that can put your home handyperson skills to good use. If that dripping faucet turns out to be too damaged to repair, replace it with a new eco-friendly low-flow model, to further reduce your water bills.

Toilet Base Leak

Is there a suspicious wetness around the base of your toilet? Either you have a messy household or there is water coming from a toilet leak. A damp floor can easily turn into a very pricey proposition; left unchecked, the moisture will rot your flooring and even make its way down to damage your subfloor eventually. Don’t want to end up shelling out big bucks for replacement of your bathroom floor? Repair the leak instead. It may be a simple matter of tightening the bolts that hold the base of the toilet in place. If that DIY solution doesn’t work, consult a plumber before the problem gets worse.

High Water Pressure

Does your shower come down in a pounding needle-like torrent? This is due to overly high water pressure, which can cost you mucho money in two ways. It not only wastes precious water, but also is extremely hard on your plumbing system, causing it to wear out too quickly. Solve this problem by adjusting the water shut-off valves. If you have a low-flow showerhead installed, a sudden dramatic increase in pressure usually means that you need to repair the device’s flow regulator or replace the showerhead.

Damaged Washing Machine Hose

Do you notice that your washing machine hose is starting to look a little worse for wear? Is it cracked, bulging, or kinked? Uh-oh. A burst washing machine hose can cause literally thousands of dollars in water damage to your home. The saddest part of the story is that this type of disaster is totally avoidable. In fact, the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) ranks a burst washing machine hose among the top 5 sources of preventable water damage. Replace that dilapidated hose, preferably with one made out of braided stainless steel. Shut off the water supply to your washer when it’s not in use .. and resist the temptation to run a load of laundry when you’re about to leave the house or go to sleep.

Leaky Water Heater

Have you spotted drips – or largish puddles -- on the floor next to your water heater? Did you even know that you should be checking for these danger signs? Leakage from a water heater may damage the surrounding floor and contribute to mold growth, which will be expensive to get rid of. So get started right away and try to figure out what’s causing the dripping. It may be due to a malfunctioning drain valve or leaky inflow or outflow pipe, all of which are fairly simple to repair. If there is major leakage, the culprit is likely your temperature and pressure release (TPR) valve or corrosion of the water heater itself. Water heaters tend to have a lifespan of only about 10 years, so it might be time to consider replacement of this important appliance.

Laura Firszt writes for networx.com.

Updated November 20, 2018.