Four Ways Homeowners Can Use Water Smarter
Even if your water bill isn't skyrocketing, using water in your home smartly is still important. As a valuable natural resource, taking such careful steps in your home is a great way to be more environmentally friendly. Here are just some of the practical ways homeowners can use water more consciously.
Leak Inspection
All water leaks are not massive. For this reason, it is easy for a homeowner to have a leaking pipe in their home and be completely unaware of it. However, regardless of the size, a water leak is simply wasted water. Consider having a plumbing professional come in your home to perform a leak inspection to ensure you aren't dealing with this type of problem. In the event there is a leak, in addition to saving water, you will likely see a decrease in your water bill.
Upgrade Appliances
Even if your older washing machine and dishwasher are still working just fine, they could be wasting a lot of water compared to newer, more efficient options. Consider an upgrade. For example, dishwashers designed prior to 1994 wasted an estimated 10 gallons of water per cycle. Upgrading to an energy efficient dishwasher can help your home save around 1,600 gallons of water. Upgrading to an energy efficient washing machine can produce similar results.
Replace the Shower Head
Particularly if you live in an older home, it might be a good time to start thinking about replacing your shower head. Older shower heads typically output water at a much faster rate than newer heads. The faster the water output, the greater the amount of wasted water. If your shower head has a flow rate higher than 2.2 GPM, it's time to replace it. If you don't know your shower head's flow rate, there are ways to test it.
Hand Wash Smarter
When hand washing your dishes, examine your habits. First, measure the amount of soapy water you need in one side of the sink based on the number of dishes you have. For example, you will need far less water when you're just washing a couple of dishes than you will when washing after family dinner. Also, instead of leaving the water running to rinse your dishes, consider filling the other side of the sink with clean water and simply dip your dishes in the water to rinse them.
There are helpful and easy ways to save water all around you, you just have to keep your eyes open. For more ways to use water smarter in your home, don't overlook the benefit of speaking with a plumbing professional. You might also want to look into the websites of local plumbing services, such as http://www.alliedme.com, to learn more.