Water conservation tips for your home

Water is a precious commodity. With water shortages and restrictions now a way of life in Marin & Sonoma counties, water conservation is a responsibility everyone should take seriously. Did you know the average person uses 500 liters of water a day?

Luckily, there’s plenty you can do to help save water around the house. A few simple adjustments can help you drastically cut your water usage. A range of water efficient plumbing products are available to improve your home’s water efficiency. Up to 40% of a households water is used in the toilet and bathroom, so this is a great place to start.

Saving water in the toilet

Toilets are perhaps the biggest water wasting appliance in your household. Around 20% of all water used in a house is flushed down the toilet. Upgrading an old toilet to a new water efficient system can make a huge difference to your household water consumption.

1. An old toilet system can use up to 12 liters of water per flush. New water efficient toilets used around 4 liters.

2. Replacing a single flush toilet with a dual flush system saves around 51 liters a day, or 10% of our daily water usage.

3. A single flush toilet costs three times as much as a dual flush toilet to maintain over a 10 year period.

Saving water in the shower

Reducing your shower time is one of the best ways to save water. But installing water efficient shower is also a great way to cut your water consumption. Water efficient shower heads provide a range of benefits:

1. Standard shower heads use 15-25 liters of water a minute. Water efficient shower heads use 6-7 liters per minute.

2. Over the course of a year, an energy efficient shower head will save 14,500 liters of water per household.

3. Gas hot water costs for a standard shower heads are almost double that of a water efficient shower head

Saving tap water

A running or leaking tap can be a surprising water waster. A running tap uses around 16 liters of water a minute. A leaking tap can waste up to 30-200 liters a day. Try the following tips to avoid wasting tap water:

1. Never leave the tap running while you brush your teeth.

2. Never leave the tap running while you shave.

3. Never wash your dishes using a running tap.

4. Install water efficient taps and fix any leaking taps.

Other water conservation tips around the household

1. When buying new appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines, look for those with the highest WELS rating (a water efficiency measurement). The most efficient appliances use 50-67% less water than older models.

2. Check for evidence of water and toilet leaks regularly. A good way to do so is by checking the water meter while all appliances, taps and toilets are not in use. If your meter is turning, this can indicate a water leakage.

Don’t forget, water and energy efficient appliances don’t just help save the environment, they save you money. The less water and electricity you use, the lower you bills are.

Contact Gaspar’s Plumbing today and start your personal water conservation.

(818) 883-1072 or (805) 553-9976

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