How to Save Water from Your Bathroom
Do you know where the water in your home is going? According to the American Water Works Association, 22% goes to washing clothes, 17% to showers, 16% to faucets, 14% to leaks, 27% to toilets, and 5% to others. This means that in your entire home, the bathroom is the single biggest contributor to your water usage, accounting for more than half. This is why if you want to save water, it would be reasonable to start with your bathroom. But how do you do it?
Start Today
You may not be aware of it, but, did you know that if your home was built before 1994 and you are still using your original fixtures then you are using up to 40% more water than newer homes. This is not something that you can disregard even if you think that water is cheap.
It is not always about the money. Eventually, unless homeowners start saving money, more and more homes will begin to experience water shortage. This will result in water prices rising and along with it the cost for sewer and heating fees.
All is not lost though, because you can start saving water today with the help of newer plumbing fixtures. This means that by simply updating your bathroom plumbing fixtures you will be able to save water as well as update the look of your bathroom at the same time.
Toilets
Begin with your toilets. Using low-flow models will help to limit your water usage without affecting the flushing power. It is true that older 1.6 gallons per flush were not very efficient, but with a bit of reengineering of its components like the trap ways and bowls, flushes had become more powerful.
High-efficiency toilet models have also been introduced into the market. These are designed to consume even less water by as much as 20%. This means that water usage can go down to as low as 0.8 gallon. This translates to water savings of as much as 6,000 gallons every year.
These types of water saving toilets that present higher efficiency can cost anywhere from $200 to $300 per unit. Savings can be up to 23,000 gallons of water a year for a family of four.
Showerheads
In the bathroom the shower is the second highest consumer of water so it makes a lot of sense to make sure that your showerheads are water efficient. Are you aware that the water usage of your shower also affects your energy usage?
This is because about 70% of the water that goes through your showerheads come from your water heater. So when you reduce your water usage you save on water as well as energy consumption. Investing in low-flow showerheads will cost you about $20 to $100 per unit but will give you around 7,800 gallons of water saved a year. You will also save $90 on your energy bills if you have an electric water heating system and $38 a year if you have a gas-powered one.
You do not have to fear that you will be giving up your comfortable showers. New and efficient showerheads reduce water usage but not the water pressure. This is because these newer showerheads do not just choke the water flow like older models did with the use of restrictors. These highly efficient showerheads are the product of modern technology that allows the shape of the showerhead to increase the water stream velocity, control the size of the water drops, and use only 1.6 gallons of water per minute.
These simple renovations and innovations will provide you with tremendous results in water savings the longer you use them. If you want to save more water and money, consult a professional plumbing service to have your home system checked.