As you start creating your New Year's resolutions this year, take some time to think about your home. With a few changes, you can make your home more comfortable and save money on your water bill. While some of these tips involve physical upgrades, other options only require simple lifestyle changes.
Limit Your Baths
A full tub can use up to 70 gallons of water. Meanwhile, a five-minute shower uses 10 to 25 gallons of water. A bubble bath may be enjoyable, but it can use up a significant amount of water. Switching to showers instead of baths can help you save money on your water bill.
Other than limiting your baths, you can also take shorter showers. A 30-minute shower would use 60 to 150 gallons of water, which means it would use even more water than a bath. By taking shorter showers, you will save water. You can also switch to a low-flow showerhead if you want to save even more money.
Tankless Water Heaters
Tankless water heaters are an excellent way to improve the efficiency of your home. With a standard water heater, your home heats water all the time. Then, the water heater stores water in the tank and uses electricity to keep it warm. When you switch to a tankless water heater, you stop wasting money on water storage. A tankless heater only heats water when you need it.
Get a Gray Water System
This kind of system reclaims the water you use in your shower or sink. Then, the water is reused in your yard. Instead of wasting water on your lawn, you can reuse the water from your home.
WaterSense Faucets
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) runs the WaterSense program to help consumers determine which faucets and fixtures use the least amount of water. To get this designation, a faucet must use 20 percent less water than standard faucets.
Upgrade to a High-Efficiency Toilet
If you recently purchased your toilet, it is already more efficient than older models. This year, you may want to consider replacing your old toilets and fixtures. A high-efficiency toilet uses less water, so you can instantly lower your water bill.
If you look near the hinge on your toilet seat, you can see how much water your toilet uses. It will most likely have a figure that ranges between 1.28 and 7 gallons. To be considered a low-flow toilet, the toilet must use 1.6 gallons or less per flush.
On average, flushing a toilet makes up a whopping 14 percent of a home's water bill. If you exclude outdoor water usage, your toilet accounts for 38 percent of your water bill. By switching toilets or flushing less often, you can significantly reduce your bill each month.
Stop Watering Your Landscape
While a green lawn looks beautiful, it uses up a lot of water. Today, American lawns make up 30 to 40 million acres of land. In urban areas, an estimated 30 to 60 percent of water used goes towards lawns and landscaping features.
You can stop watering your lawn in the summer to save water. When the lawn turns yellow, it is not dead. The yellow color is like a temporary shut-off feature that allows the grass to conserve water temporarily. If you still want a green, beautiful yard, you can also switch to native plants. When plants are native to the area, they are used to the summertime heat and drought. As a result, they generally require less water than non-native plants do.
For all of your plumbing needs, contact The Plumbing Authority at (865) 238-2280.