Show All Answers

1. What is wrong with my toilet?

Toilet leaks can included various signs and sounds. Find out what is wrong with your toilet with Fluidmaster's online troubleshooting guide with live chat assistance. Click here: https://www.fluidmaster.com/support/

2. What size toilet flapper do I have?

The flapper valve is what regulates water to the bowl. It is important that flappers are sized appropriately to maintain a proper seal needed for the toilet to both flush properly and control the flow of water to the bowl. Most toilet flappers are either a 2" or a 3" depending on the size of the drain opening from the tank to the bowl. When choosing a replacement flapper you will have to know what you currently have:

Flapper Style: Flexible Rubber or Solid Plastic Frame

Size: Either 2" or 3" (pre-1994 toilets are usually 2")

Flushing Capacity: 5 , 3.5 , 1.6 , or 1.28 gallon per flush toilet

READ THE FULL FLUIDMASTER ARTICLE (CLICK HERE)

3. How do I replace a toilet fill valve?

Toilet component replacements are commonly done by homeowners themselves. Check out this video on the steps to replacing a toilet fill valve in about 10 mins. with the proper parts. It may just give you the courage to try this at home. If you need assistance with this repair Fluidmaster has an online troubleshooting guide and live chat assistance waiting for you on weekdays from 5:30 am to 5:00 pm. at https://www.fluidmaster.com/support/.

4. How do I fix a leaky or dripping double handled faucet?

Check out this DIY video on how to fix a leaky or dripping double handled faucet. 

5. How do I replace a faucet aerator?

Check out this DIY video on how to replace your faucet aerator.

6. How do I fix a leaky bathtub faucet?

Check out this helpful DIY video on how to fix a leaky bathtub faucet.

7. What is a water pressure regulator?

A water pressure regulator is a safety feature designed to prevent the water pressure inside your home from climbing too high or falling too low. Building codes require builders to install a water pressure regulator on homes when the street mainline pressure exceeds 80 psi (pounds per square inch). Most regulators are pre-set by manufacturers at 45 to 60 psi, which is the optimal pressure.

8. Where is the pressure regulator located?

The water pressure regulator is a bell shaped device often located on the main line inlet pipe, usually near the house shut-off valve (customer valve) outside the home. If you have one it is very important to know where it is and how to check it.

9. How do I adjust my pressure regulator?

Most water pressure regulators have an adjustment nut that can be used to increase or decrease the water pressure. Incorrectly adjusting the regulator could cause water pressure to become too high or too low. Unfortunately, SMWD is unable to adjust pressure regulators because they are considered to be the homeowner’s private property. If an adjustment cannot be made to your regulator, it may need to be replaced. You may want to contact a local plumbing supply store or a plumbing professional for assistance.

10. How do I reset/program my sprinkler timer (outdoor watering)?

Over 50% of a home’s water use occurs outdoors, primarily for irrigation.  How often and long you water plants affects both plant health and your water bill.  To find resources on what type of sprinkler timer you have and how to control it, use this great website:

http://www.resetyourcontroller.com

Additional information on outdoor watering can be found on our site:  www.smwd.com/watering

11. Pool / Spa DIY Leak Check

YouTube Video "How Do I Find an In-Ground Pool Leak?"

Here are simple tips for pools, spa and hot tub owners to save water and money.

Pool Water Saving Tips

• Install a pool cover to reduce water evaporation by as much as 60%.
• Shut off waterfalls, fountains, and other water features to reduce water loss and evaporation.
• Check the pool for leaks. Contact your pool service professional for guidance. See the video below for a DIY leak check.
• Minimize splashing or lower the pool’s water level to reduce "splashout."
• Plug the overflow line when the pool is in use.
• Replace sand and DE filters with cartridge filters that do not require backwashing.
• Keep your pool clean to reduce frequency of backwashing.
• If your pool is heated, reduce the water temperature to reduce evaporation. This saves energy too!

Hot Tub and Spa Water Savings Tips

• Keep it covered.
• Maintain the chemicals to extend water life.
• Check the equipment for leaks.
• Drain only when absolutely necessary.
• Check with your pool service professional for new technology that helps keep the water clean and reduce the need to drain the spa.
• If you drain your spa, after dechlorinating the water, reuse the water to irrigate plants and landscaping.

Water Savings Calculator for Pools

The District has created an easy calculator for you to figure out if your pool and decking design will use less water than conventional landscaping.

12. Reverse Osmosis Systems and Water Usage

Reverse osmosis (RO) systems can be water-intensive. According to the EPA, "a typical RO system sends five gallons of water or more down the drain for every one gallon of treated water it produces!". Some RO systems can even run water into the sewer system constantly. This can increase your indoor usage significantly. 

Water filtration is not needed from a water quality perspective, but may be desired for personal reasons (taste, softness, etc.). SMWD advocates for systems that use exchange tanks that require regular maintenance via a service as opposed to RO systems or a salt based water softener. The latter systems can also put back extra salt into the wastewater, which means SMWD has to treat more salt at our treatment plants and our recycled water quality (TDS, total dissolved solids) suffers.

For more information, please click here. 

13. What are the negative impacts of traditional salt-based water softening systems?

• Softened water is not healthy to drink—not only for sodium-sensitive, hypertensive patients, but also for healthy people as well. For hypertensive people on a low-sodium diet, softened water contains sodium. But softened water may also contain metals (such as lead and copper), which have been leached from the metal pipes, faucets, and soldered joints of the pipes in the home.
• Water-softening polymeric resins do not last forever. In general, the polymeric resins in traditional salt-based water-softening systems have to be replaced every five to 10 years (depending on the hardness of water being treated and the other factors discussed previously) because the resins have been "spent" and cannot be regenerated any further. It is clear then that salt-based water softeners are not an ideal, permanent solution to the hard-water problem.
• During regeneration, the calcium and magnesium ions which are discharged with the rest of the household sewage may precipitate out as hardness scale on the inside of the sewage and discharge pipe. As a result, the part of the household plumbing that connects with the municipal sewers may have scale buildup as well. Traditional salt-based water-softening systems are not environmentally friendly. The salt contributes to the salinity problem when discharged with other wastewater into the municipal sewage-treatment plant. In general, higher salinity in the wastewater increases the treatment costs and reduces the potential for reuse of treated wastewater for irrigation and industrial purposes.
• Salt is a major pollutant—in many states (including California), salt is considered a pollutant when discharged into the environment. As we know, when hardness or salinity rises, soaps and detergents become less effective, home appliances and plumbing wear out faster, and water-heating systems become less energy efficient due to scaling. When discharged with treated wastewater into rivers and lakes, chloride (Cl-) can harm aquatic life and damage agricultural crops by causing leaf burn of drying of leaf tissue, thus reducing crop yields.