Water Conservation Tips

Use These Tips to Help Trim Your Water Bill

How much water do you think you use each day? How much of that do you think goes to waste? We all know about taking small steps like turning off the water while you brush your teeth, but we may be wasting gallons of water every day without even realizing it.

Wasting water isn’t good for anyone. It’s bad for the planet, and it’s bad for your pocketbook. Nobody wants to pay for something like water, especially when that water is being wasted rather than used effectively. The trick is in realizing how much water you actually use. On average, each person uses 80 to 100 gallons of water every day. Of that total, more than 60% of the water used each day is used in the bathroom.

Fortunately, you can take some easy steps to help you conserve water and trim your water bill. Check out these water conservation tips.

1. The toilets in your home account for more than 40% of your total water usage. You can stop leaky toilets from wasting water by installing a new flapper and fill valve. You can reduce the water consumption of your toilet even further by installing a dual flush converter. This gadget gives you two flushing options; one uses less water for liquid waste, and the other uses a bit more water for solid waste. This allows you to use only the water that you need. A low flow toilet uses 20% less water per flush.

2. If you have a leaky, dripping faucet, you could be wasting thousands of gallons of water each month. A dripping faucet can use 150 gallons of water every single day, and as much as 4,500 gallons of water each month. Fixing the leak is simple. While you are fixing it, install an aerator. This water saving device reduces the flow rate of the faucet so that you are using only a half-gallon per minute. Typically, a faucet uses more than 2 ½ gallons of water per minute. Installing an aerator can significantly cut down on the amount of water that runs down the drain while you are washing your hands.

3. Switch out your old showerhead and replace it with a low-flow shower head. By making this simple change, you can save four gallons of water every minute, and you can still maintain full spray action. A 1.5 gallon per minute low-flow showerhead provides quality water pressure and excellent water savings.

4. Take good care of your plumbing system and provide routine maintenance. Check for leaks, running toilets, and signs of water damage. Identifying and resolving these issues can significantly reduce your water consumption.

5. Upgrade your washing machine. On average, 21% of the water used in a home is used by the washing machine. Switching to a front loading washing machine can save up to 40% of the water. Any type of Energy Star rated washing machine will provide significant reductions in water consumption, whether it is top loading or front loading.

You can reduce your water consumption and save money on your water bill by using these water conservation tips. If you could use some assistance in repairing leaks or installing new water-conserving fixtures, contact Scott English Plumbing. We are experts on all types of plumbing matters, including leak detection and repair as well as the installation of new, water-saving fixtures. To learn more about how you can save water and money, give Scott English Plumbing a call today.