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The average American home uses more water than necessary for daily tasks such as cooking, cleaning, and flushing. Water waste isn’t just a problem for homeowners with steep water bills; it can also contribute to pollution in the city or county. Fortunately, there are ways to make your home plumbing more efficient.
Here are just a few suggestions!
In the last 30 years, the standards for toilet water consumption have gotten stricter. Toilets used to consume more than three gallons of water per flush, regardless of solid or liquid waste. Today, there are alternatives that use as little as 1.28 gallons per flush. There are also dual-flush toilets, in which you can choose which type of flush to use depending on whether you’re flushing solid or liquid waste.
Faucet aerators are a small device that screw into kitchen and bathroom faucets, with little holes in a screen to add air to water streams. They are designed to control the stream and reduce the amount of water that comes out. This low flow was great for saving water, but by solving the problem of water waste, they tended to also reduce water pressure. This would mean taking longer to do the dishes. Naturally, they weren’t too popular among consumers.
Fortunately, there are new faucet aerators that can reduce water consumption without altering the pressure, so everybody wins!
Pipe insulation helps prevent them from freezing, something that we fortunately don’t have to worry about in South Florida. But that’s not all they do! Insulation also helps minimize the loss of heat that happens when water flows to the faucet. When you’re in between faucet uses while cooking or doing dishes, the water sitting in the pipe can stay warmer longer. This means a shorter wait for hot water when you turn the faucet back on, sending less valuable water down the drain.
Keeping water hot in a tank consumes a lot of energy – something that isn’t necessary when you’re sleeping or at work, and therefore not using the shower. Don’t worry, we’re not suggesting that you stop taking hot showers. What we do suggest is switching to a tankless water heater. This type of heater works instantly by running water through coils as it flows to your home plumbing supply line, saving lots of energy in the process. Not only that, it helps save you money, too.
Water from storms doesn’t have to go directly into the sewer. No, we don’t recommend drinking or bathing in this water, but it has another important use: gardening. Collect rainwater in a large bucket to save for watering your plants. You can also invest in a kit for water collection, which is increasingly common in home improvement stores. When you pay for city water, recycling in this way makes a lot more sense.
Art Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Electric has been proudly serving the residents of Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade Counties since 1983. We offer a wide array of plumbing services, including same day emergency plumbing services. To keep your home plumbing in the best shape, call us today at 1-800-475-1504 to schedule an appointment with an experienced plumber.
