Save Water With Updated Plumbing Fixtures
You wouldn’t throw money down the drain, would you? Unfortunately, that’s what using inefficient plumbing fixtures in your home is doing. Luckily, there are a lot of simple ways that you can save water and spend less on your water bill. With our 5 tips, you can have your home running efficiently and free up some money to spend on other things
Use Low Flow Aerators in Your Faucets
Low flow aerators are the easiest and fastest way to reduce your water consumption. You can replace your standard aerator with a low flow one for less than 5 dollars most of the time and removal and installation is really simple. The design of your aerator will vary, but it should look generally like the one pictured here. Merely unscrew your old aerator and install the new one and just like that you’re on your way to saving water and saving money.
Install Low Flow Shower Heads
Your current shower head likely uses anywhere from 2.5 gallons to 4 gallons of water per minute. Low flow or WaterSense labeled shower head only uses 2 gallons of water, which means that if your current fixture is on the higher end of the spectrum you could cut your shower water usage in half. Trimming down the water your shower uses means that you’ll be saving hot water which will lead to energy savings as well as savings on your water bill.
Change Out Your Old Faucets for WaterSense Rated Ones
WaterSense is an independent rating system for water fixtures that is approved by the EPA. WaterSense fixtures are guaranteed to use less water which means that you can be sure that the cost of installation will be offset by water savings further down the line. Not only are water efficient fixtures easy on the environment, but they’re easy on your budget too.
Repair Leaking Faucets and Pipes
Those minor leaks and drips add up over time and can cause water damage if left unattended. If you’re curious how much water you’re losing to a leaky faucet, this drip calculator shows how waste adds up over the course of a year. A leaky faucet is usually a pretty easy fix and can often be as simple as replacing a washer. Fixing pipes can be more involved and sometimes requires replacing entire sections of pipe, but both can save a lot of water and save you money on your water bill making them well worth the effort. If your comfortable with some of the less involved tasks listed here, but pipe replacement seems a little out of your range, then enlist the help of a professional plumber.
Ditch Your Old Toilet for a More Efficient Model
If your toilet was manufactured before the mid-’90s, it could be using anywhere from 3-7 gallons per flush. New efficient models only use 1.3 gallons per flush which amounts to huge water savings over the course of a year. Your toilet is likely stamped with a marking for how many gallons per flush it uses. Check it and see if you could save hundreds or even thousands of gallons per year by switching to an efficient fixture.
Need Assistance? Call Us!
We know that some tasks aren’t the easiest to do yourself. If you feel uncomfortable tackling any of these repairs, call us at Scott English and one of our licensed and insured plumbers can take care of it for you. We’re available for same day and emergency service and when you book with us you can be sure that the job will be done right the first time.