10 Ways To Conserve Water At Home

Today, conserving water is more important than ever. It is a precious resource that most of us are overusing. Yet, saving water isn’t as hard as you may think. In fact, when it comes to conserving water, small actions can have a big impact. There are a number of ways to save water, and they all start with you. All you have to do is make the commitment to incorporating some of the following tips in your daily routine.

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Upgrade Your Appliances:

By switching over to Energy Star or Water Sense appliances, you can save hundreds of gallons. An Energy Star washing machine can save up to 20 gallons per load. A simple Water Sense showerhead can save up to 750 gallons a month. There is a multitude of water conservation appliances like dual flush toilets and efficient dishwashers so start with whatever makes the most sense for your home. It may seem like a lot to upgrade your home, but the benefits and long term savings of these upgrades will pay off in the long run. In addition to reducing water consumption, general energy consumption can be saved by upgrading your appliances. For example, converting from a traditional water heater to a tankless water heater is a great way to reduce energy consumption.

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Turn Off The Tap:

By simply turning off the faucet while you brush your teeth or wash your hands, you can save gallons of water. In fact, for every minute that a faucet runs two gallons of water are used.

Take A Shower Instead Of A Bath:

A full bathtub uses 70 gallons of water whereas a five-minute shower uses about 10 to 25 gallons. So skip the bath and shower instead. And while you’re at it, try cutting the length of your showers too. Shortening your shower by just a minute or two can save 150 gallons a month. You can even turn the water off while washing your hair to save more!

Use Your Dishwasher Wisely:

One golden rule is to run your dishwasher only when it is full. It is also important to know that current dishwashers (especially Energy Star appliances) now use less water than washing dishes by hand. So skip handwashing! In fact, skip pre-rinsing dishes too. Newer models clean more thoroughly so a quick scrape will usually suffice.

Minimize The Use Of Your Garbage Disposal:

Garbage disposals use a lot of water and they also add a considerable amount of solids to your septic tank which increases your chance of maintenance problems. Instead of using your disposal, you can try composting for an eco-friendly alternative.

Cut Your Grass Effectively:

Quick adjustments to how you cut your grass can have a large impact on your lawn’s water consumption. Changing your grass height from just 1.5 inches to 2 inches will actually provide shade for your lawn helping the soil retain moisture so that you can waterless. You can create this same shading effect by leaving your lawn clippings on your grass too.

Water Your Lawn At The Right Time:

The best way to tell if your lawn needs to be watered is by stepping on your grass. If the blades spring back up, it doesn’t need water. But if you can see an imprint in the grass, the lawn is ready for the water. When you do need to water the lawn, try to water early in the morning. Watering early in the day or during dusk reduces the chance of losing water to evaporation Also make sure to water your yard when it isn’t windy, otherwise, your sprinklers are off-target and water is lost to evaporation.

Check Your Home For Leaks Or Running Water:

It may seem like a no-brainer, and it should be, but many leaks go unnoticed. A running toilet will use 200 gallons a day and faucet leaking at one drip per second can waste 3,000 gallons a year. You can check to see if your toilet is leaking by dropping food coloring in your toilet tank. If the coloring seeps into the bowl without flushing, you have a leak. Get it fixed and you’ll start saving water and money. A small drip costs you hundreds of gallons per year, click here to explore our leaky faucet calculator.

Use Grey Water:

You can easily reuse water that you may not want for yourself but is perfectly fine for plants and gardens. For example, while waiting for the shower to warm up, you can catch the cold water in a bucket and use it to water plants. You can use this method when rising vegetables in the sink or even after cooking pasta in a pot.

Reuse And Re-Wear:

There is nothing unsanitary about reusing a towel or re-wearing a pair of jeans. With the exception of socks and underwear, many of our clothes don’t need to be washed after one wear. When you do decide your clothes need a wash, make sure you fill the whole washing machine so you don’t waste water with laundry loads.

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Bonus Tip: Tankless Water Heaters

One of the best ways to conserve energy is to invest in a tankless water heater. These water heaters, also known as on-demand water heaters, only heat water on an as-need basis.

Because of this, they do not use a tank like conventional water heaters do. This means that there is no standby heat loss that is commonly associated with traditional water heaters. Tanked water heaters have to maintain the water in the tank at a specified temperature even if you are not using hot water.

This saves a lot of the energy costs for heating water which accounts for a significant portion of an energy bill. Additionally, tankless systems offer an endless supply of hot water. With conventional water heating systems, once the tank runs out, you will not have any more hot water.

 

 

Conclusion

Most of these tips are easy to incorporate into your lifestyle. Start out with one tip and try adding more. You will certainly notice the benefits of conserving water in your home. Not only is it a great idea to limit water use to reduce costs, but it is also a fantastic idea to use appliances and plumbing fixtures that can help you do it too. Be sure to find a reputable plumber who can help make your home more water-efficient.

R.F. Ohl now offers plumbing services. All of our plumbers are certified and have years of experience in the plumbing industry. Our plumbers certainly can make your home’s water use decrease and, in turn, reduce your water expenditures. Give us a call today and speak with one of our plumbing system specialists.

Call Now: (610) 377-1098

Contact us today or give us a call at (610) 377-1098 if you have any questions.