Unless you’ve upgraded to water-efficient plumbing fixtures, you’ll probably use at least 80 gallons of water at home today. Think that’s impossible? Consider these facts: a single flush of a standard toilet sends at least four gallons down the pipes, and for every single minute you linger in that nice hot shower, you’re using five gallons. Add to that teeth brushing, shaving, dishwashing…you get the idea. As water becomes an increasingly scarce resource, the price of waste is evident through increased water rates and higher bills. Water-efficient plumbing fixtures are adaptable to any home and help reduce water costs without cramping your lifestyle. Here’s what’s available to get the job done:
Water-Saving Shower Heads
Easily installed to replace your standard shower head, these water-conserving models have come a long way in recent years. New design delivers a satisfying shower with only two gallons per minute of water consumption.
Low-Flow Faucets
If your bathroom plumbing fixtures predate 1998, your faucets are probably consuming up to a whopping seven gallons per minute. To comply with standards adopted in 1998, standard faucets these days reduce that amount to 2.2 gallons per minute. Even newer faucets that bear the Enivronmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense label take conservation to the next level and deliver 1.5 gallons per minute.
Next-Generation Dishwashers
Conventional dishwashers typically use over 10 gallons per cycle. More efficient designs and engineering, incorporated in Energy Star-qualified dishwashers, reduce consumption, saving an average of 1,300 gallons of water during the expected service life. Not only that, Energy Star dishwashers also use less electricity.
High-Efficiency Toilets
The biggest water waster in the house has been going through changes. Toilets made after 1995 reduced per-flush consumption to 1.6 gallons. Many of these are still installed in residences, but newer high-efficiency toilets (HET) bearing the WaterSense certification do even better, using just 1.28 gallons per flush.
For more information about upgrading to water-efficient plumbing fixtures to conserve water and your household budget, contact the professionals at Mowery Heating, Cooling and Plumbing.
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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