Conserving water isn’t just the right thing to do for the planet; it’s also the right thing to do for your pocketbook. The more efficient your plumbing is, the less you will spend on water each month. Depending on how big your home is and where you live, that could mean big savings each month – and even bigger cumulative savings in the long run.
You don’t have to be a plumber to make your home more water-efficient. Here are six hacks you can employ to use less water in your home:
Turn Off the Tap Water When Not in Use
This “hack” may seem obvious, but it’s surprising how many people leave the tap water running without even realizing it. They may let the water run while they are brushing their teeth, or they may let it run while they are wiping down a counter top. Gallons of water can be wasted right down the drain in even a few minutes’ time.
Unless water is going onto a rag or into a cup or being used for some other specific purpose, turn off the tap. Don’t let the water run while you are doing other tasks. It’s not improving convenience by much to save you from turning the tap back on when you’re ready to rinse your teeth after brushing, for example.
Take Showers Instead of a Bath, and Keep them Short
Filling the typical bath uses 70 gallons of water. Times that by the number of people in your house, and you could be letting a significant amount of water run down the drain. However, taking just a five-minute shower reduces your water usage to just 10 to 25 gallons, depending on your water pressure and the type of shower head you have.
Just be sure to keep the shower short! Extend that same shower to 15 minutes and you’re using 75 gallons of water at the high end, which is more than a bath. Get in and get out! Don’t just stand there and let the water wash over you.
Pre-Soak Dishes
Using a dishwasher can save a lot of water over washing your dishes by hand. But you’ll negate all those savings if you have to wash the dishes again because they had crusted food that wouldn’t come off in the wash cycle. You can prevent this from happening by pre-soaking dishes. Don’t wash them – just leave them in a sink or bowl of water to cover the tough spots.
Run Appliances Only When Full
Minimize the amount of dishes and clothes you have to wash and save a lot of water by running your dishwasher and washing machine only when you have a full load. Even if you only put a few plates or a few items of clothes extra in each load, that could add up to many additional loads that you didn’t have to run over the course of a year. Multiple those loads by 10 to 15 gallons per cycle, and you can see how the savings can add up.
Install Low-Flow Appliances
Toilets use a lot of the water in your home. You can reduce water usage by having a low-flow toilet installed, which will use only 1.3 gallons of water per flush. You can further reduce water waste by ensuring that the toilet has no leaks, and asking a plumber to reduce the volume of water the toilet holds.
You can save more water by having low-flow faucets and shower heads installed throughout your home. The more you do, the greater the water savings will be.
Fix Leaks Immediately
A leak may not appear to be a big problem since it only lets out a drop or two of water at a time. But those little drops can add up to a lot of water waste over time. It is important that you have leaks fixed as soon as you notice them, no matter how big (or little) they appear to be.
Leaks can also be hidden behind your walls and under your floors. You should have a plumber inspect your system regularly to discover leaks or other underlying issues that could be making your system less efficient. You should also look out for the signs of leaks, such as increased water bills or problems with your water pressure, and call a plumber to get to the root of the problem immediately.
Repipe Your Home
You may make all these changes and still notice that you are using more water in your home than you should. If that’s the case, you may need to update your system and repipe your home. Talk to a repiping plumber to inspect your system and to learn more about your options for repiping. You’ll make a big investment up front, but you’ll save a lot more in the long run by reducing water waste and minimizing the need for repairs.
Even making little changes to your routines can have a big impact on your water consumption. That impacts our environment, as well as your household budget. Make the changes you can, and work with a plumber to make other changes that will make your plumbing system as efficient as possible.
In California, Integrity Repipe can help you make your home more water-efficient by making repairs where necessary or repiping your home if you have an aging or inappropriate system. Our experienced and highly skilled plumbers can install all types of plumbing, but they are experts in PEX piping. PEX is a flexible type of piping that can save money, improve energy and water efficiency, and resist common plumbing damages. Call us today to learn more about PEX or your other options for repiping.
Published by – Integrity Repipe Inc
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