In many parts of the country, water restrictions are in place due to drought conditions. So saving a little bit of water around the house is a great way to conserve this much-needed natural resource. And then there is the more selfish motivation. Every drop of water that you save represents savings on your water bill. So practicing a little conservation is good for everyone. Here are some tips from the pros at Metroplex Leak & Line for you to reduce your water consumption in the bathroom of your home include:
- Turn off the water when you are not using it. It sounds so simple, but it is something that almost everyone forgets to do. Each time you brush your teeth, turn the water off after you have moistened your toothbrush. It will save a few minutes of wasted water each day if you can get the entire family on board with this plan. And over the course of the year, that will add up to hundreds of gallons of water saved.
- Be smart when you are washing your hands. Turning the water on gently will save about 50% of the water you use if you had been turning it on all the way. And this gentle flow of water will still thoroughly rinse your hands. But what it won’t do is splash all over the bathroom and flood the counter around the sink.
- Gentleman, we have a challenge for you. If you leave the water running while you shave, try filling the sink with a little water and then turning it off. You will use less than a gallon of water to shave using this method. And if you spend 5 minutes shaving, and the water is running the entire time, that uses almost 8 gallons of water. That is an excellent savings over the course of a year.
- Whether to take a shower or a bath is usually only a concern for the ladies, so this is a challenge for them. Showering uses less water than it takes to fill your tub. If you don’t believe this, close the stopper in your tub and take a shower. The tub will not be close to full by the time you are done showering. So commit to taking more showers and save the bath for a special treat on the weekends when you have time to lounge and enjoy the 80 to 100 gallons of water that you are using to fill the tub.
- Dripping faucets are not silent, but they are sneaky little thieves who are stealing your water and money. A faucet that drips 30 times per minute will waste over 1,500 gallons of water in a year. And while that is a very rapid leak and one that is sure to annoy you enough to repair, think about all the faucets in your home. If only a few are leaking at half that rate, it is still over 700 gallons of water wasted each year. That is enough to fill your bathtub for seven luxurious baths.
- Replacing an older toilet can save about three gallons of water with each flush. Low flow toilet regulations were enacted in 1986. But toilets made before that time used as much as 5 gallons of water per flush. Today’s low-flow models use less than two! With just ten flushes a day, you will save 30 gallons of water. And in a year, that will amount to almost 11,000 gallons or enough to fill most residential swimming pools.
- Setting a timer is a great way to keep shower times more reasonable and ensure that everyone has an opportunity to enjoy some hot water. It will also help avoid wasting water by showering over 5 minutes or so.
You might not need to worry about water restrictions where you live, but everyone is happy to save a few dollars here and there. By reducing the amount of water you are wasting in the bathroom, you will help the environment and save some cash. And the savings we talked about only reflected a few tips for the bathroom. Think of applying water-saving tips to the kitchen, laundry room, and even outside your home. You could reduce your water bill by 10%. If you have any questions about your home water usage, or how to devise a plan to help reduce as much cost as possible, give us a call today (214) 388-4525!
