Practical Plumbing Handbook
Are you a DIYer? The Practical Plumbing Handbook from the Alliance for Water Efficiency is a guide for fixing common household leaks (toilets, faucets, irrigation) and performing preventative maintenance to conserve water. Published in 2019, it is designed as a customizable utility resource for homeowners.
Pickup this guide and other helpful water-saving literature at the LMUD district office located at 1097 Lohmans Crossing.
Top 10 ways to save water at home (covered in this handbook):
- Check your home’s water meter to see if you have a leak.
- Fix a leaky faucet.
- Install a “high efficiency” rather than “low flow” showerhead of you have a pre-1994 model.
- Tune up your toilet.
- Replace pre-1994 water guzzling toilets with new high efficiency models.
- Fix leaky water supply tubing.
- Buy a high efficiency washing machine.
- Run your washing machine and dishwasher only when they are full.
- Check your sprinkler system frequently and adjust sprinklers so they water only your lawn and not the sidewalk or street.
- Adjust your irrigation system controller (sprinkler timer) to apply the right amount of water to your landscape or install a “smart” irrigation controller. Remember to set your controller to water less in the wetter months (or turn off the irrigation altogether).
- Water during early morning hours when temperatures are cooler to minimize evaporation.
Additional topics discussed in this handbook:
- How to determine if you have a leak
- How to shut off the household water supply
- Plumbing Repairs and Preventative Maintenance
- Considerations when purchasing a new toilet
- Preventing frozen pipes
- Troubleshooting for washing machines, dishwashers, and water heaters
- Water treatment options
- Irrigation system tune-up
- Landscape upgrades
- Water conservation tips
This handbook is not intended for addressing major, complex plumbing issues.
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