Top Ten Tips to Save Water Inside Your Home
Water Saving Tips for Your Kitchen:
Check for a leaky faucet. If your sink has a leaking faucet, you will be wasting many gallons of water every day. You should replace it or repair it, as soon as you can. Sometimes you can easily stop the leak by adding a new gasket (flat gasket or o-ring) to your faucet, but other times this may not be enough. If you are able to do the repair yourself, it could be done very affordably. It could also be very expensive, if you have to pay a plumber to do it. You may even consider replacing the entire faucet at this time. It will cost you a little money now, but it will save you a lot of money in the long run.
Use aerators that are low-flow on your kitchen faucets. Replace any regular aerators with low-flow ones and you will cleverly save hundreds of gallons of water each year. This one adjustment provides generous water-savings that you are sure to notice on your water bills.
Replace any dishwasher that is 10-years-old. You will save up to 50% in water usage if you replace your older dishwasher with a new “ENERGY STAR” one. New dishwashers not only save water, but they also generally use 25% less energy than older ones.
Only run your dishwasher when it is completely full. If it is at all possible, do not rinse your dishes prior to loading them. Make sure you always check your washer screen routinely and replace or clean it as required. Also remember if you hand-wash your dishes, you should always turn the water off when you are not rinsing them. Note: It is more water efficient to use an automatic dishwasher than to hand-wash your dishes.
Water Saving Tips for Your Bathroom(s) and Laundry Room
Fix any leaks in your bathroom. Check your bathroom for leaking faucets or showerheads – replace or repair them as soon as possible. Use more water-conscious fixtures (low-flow aerator faucets or low-flow showerheads) for replacements. These types of leaks can waste 100s of gallons of water a day.
Replace any older toilets. This fixture is the number one water-waster inside of your home. You can easily save several thousands of gallons of water a year (per toilet), by simply replacing them with newer more efficient models. If you have a toilet that has a leak, repair it or replace it to save 100s of gallons of water daily.
Replace older washing machines. This is the second water-waster inside of your home. You should replace any older models with a new “ENERGY STAR” one. These newer models save water and energy, which lowers both your water and electric bill. You will use about 50% less energy and around 10 gallons less water per load. This is a tremendous amount of savings.
Check for leaking faucets, hoses, and fittings. You should repair or replace any faucets in your laundry room, as you did in your kitchen and bathrooms. Also make sure you periodically check your washers hot and cold hoses and fittings for any leaks. This type of leak may not be apparent, so make sure you check for it often.
Use your washing machine more efficiently. Try to only run the washing machine with full loads. If it is possible, use cold water for all cycles. Always set the water level and the cycle length to match the wash load. Also remember to pre-treat any stains to avoid re-washing items.
Never leave the water on. No matter which room, or what water device – always turn off the water when it is not necessary. Do not leave water running for any reason.
If you follow these ten tips on conserving water, you will notice the obvious difference on your water bill, along with your electric bill. You will be doing your part to conserve water and energy, as every homeowner should.
