Whether it’s important to you to cut your energy bills or you’re concerned about the environment, look no further than your showerheads. Over the course of a year, showering uses 41 percent of the hot water consumed in homes and 17 percent of all water used indoors.
Considering that all that energy and water go down the drain, taking steps to reduce this consumption will lower water heating costs and save water. Heating water accounts for almost 20 percent of energy used in homes, second only to heating and cooling it. Even though most of us take ample water for granted, in reality, droughts and water shortages do occur.
It’s not hard to reduce energy and water consumption for showering by:
- Turning down the water heater to 120 degrees instead of heating the water to 140 degrees.
- Replacing old showerheads with WaterSense fixtures. The EPA runs the WaterSense program to help consumers choose water-efficient plumbing fixtures. The most efficient showerheads use 1.25 gallons per minute (GPM), compared to the current standard of 2.5 GPM.
These fixtures don’t make a perceptible difference in water volume. Instead, they use engineering designs that offer the same feel of a water-hungry fixture. Some have multiple settings for water intensity and spray patterns. Models are also available that work with homes that have low water pressure.
- Fixing leaking shower and bathtub faucets. If you’re not comfortable with plumbing fixtures, ask a licensed plumber to help.
- Installing flow restrictors. This is an inexpensive option to reduce water use not only in the shower, but throughout your home. Look for those with the WaterSense designation.
- Staying in the bathroom while waiting for the hot water to arrive at the faucet, instead of stepping away to do something else.
- Taking shorter showers.
Taking charge of water used at the showerheads will make positive change in your water and energy bills and help preserve resources. If you’d like to learn more or need assistance, contact Mowery Heating, Cooling and Plumbing, providing trusted HVAC and plumbing services for Indianapolis homeowners.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Brownsburg, Indiana and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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