Save Water in Your Home by Implementing These Techniques
Having clean water is often taken for granted. Many states frequently experience water droughts and are forced to follow water restrictions. Fortunately, it’s not hard to reduce your water consumption by putting in a little effort here and there. Below are some tips to save water in your home.
1. Fix Leaks
Many people are unaware that a small faucet leak can waste up to 20 gallons of water per day. It is important to fix any leaks immediately because they will only get worse and waste more water. Fixing leaks will not only save water but will save you money as well.
2. Don’t Leave Faucets Running
Do not let faucets continue to run while cleaning, washing your body, brushing teeth, or other tasks. Faucets can produce about 2 gallons of water per minute. The point here is to use only what you need. This can save you hundreds of gallons a month.
3. Repurpose Water
Another great way to save water in your home is by reuse. Water used to rinse off fruits, vegetables, or other items can be captured and deposited in other areas around your home. This water would be excellent for watering plants indoors and outside.
4. Take Advantage of Double Sinks
When washing dishes, fill one sink with soapy water to wash and the other with clean water to rinse. Dipping dishes to rinse will save more water than running the faucet.
5. Efficient Dishwasher
A newer more efficient dishwasher will save water in your home and pay for itself. Regardless of the dishwasher type, scrape the dishes before loading rather than wasting water by rinsing dishes. Also, only use the dishwasher when it’s full unless you have a type designed to wash small loads efficiently.
6. Energy Star Washer
Washing clothes accounts for a high percentage of water consumption in most homes, especially if you have a big family. Older washers tend to be inefficient and waste large amounts of water. Shop for Energy Star® washers which use approximately 40% less water than older washing machines, and wait until you have a full load of clothes to save the most water.
7. Low Flow Toilets
Toilets account for about 30% of the water used in your home. Older toilets use about 6 gallons of water per flush. A modern WaterSense-certified toilet uses 1.6 gallons or less per flush. Dual-flush toilets are a better option because you can choose between 2 different amounts of water for flushing.
8. WaterSense Showerhead
The average family uses about 40 gallons of water per day during showers. A normal showerhead uses about 2.5 gallons a minute. A WaterSense-certified showerhead uses less than 2 gallons a minute without compromising performance. To further reduce water usage, shorten the length of your showers.
9. Pool Covers
Pool covers help to reduce water evaporation so you won’t have to refill the pool as much. Experts state that pool covers can reduce the amount of replacement water by up to 50%.
10. Hand Watering
The last way to save water in your home is to water your garden and other plants by hand with a watering can. This is ideal if you have a small area to water. Watering by running the hose lets a lot of water go to waste.
Top Notch Home Inspectors serves Northeast Florida with home inspection services, including home water testing. Contact us to schedule an appointment.