Save Water with Low-Flow Shower Heads and Other Gadgets

Apr 2010
21
Posted In:  water bills

The average shower head uses 5 gallons of water per minute (gpm) while a low flow model will deliver 2.5 gpm or less. For an investment of  around $10 -$20 you can save $50-$75 per year on your water bill and $20-$50 or more per year on heating bills ( for the hot water ), depending on your current showerhead and utility rates. Similar to the aerators you see on kitchen sink faucets, low-flow shower heads work by restricting the flow of water and mixing more air into the water stream.Here are some other sources of wasted water in your bathroom and gadgets that can help you fix them.

 

When you install a low-flow shower head, it's important to turn down the heat on your water heater. No only will this prevent you from getting burned if someone flushes the toilet while you are showering, it will also save you money on your energy bill. Also get a kitchen timer in the bathroom to help you reduce your shower time to just five-minutes. The combination of shorter showeres and a low-flow showerhead will save you 12.5 gallons of water per shower! 

You should also have a water aerator on the bathroom faucet to save additional water. These gadgets are great because they help you save water without causing low water pressure, a pet peeve among many homeowners. An aerator is affordable and very easy to install. You just screw it onto the end of the tap.This is alos a good time to address any leaks on the faucet. A leaky faucet wastes between 1,000 and 2,000 gallons of water every year.

The low-flow concept is also helpful in the toilet. If your toilet needs replacing, get a low-flow model. Thet use 1.6 gallons per flush instead of the old 3.6 gallons. If you're not in tenh market for a new toilet, you can upgrade your existing one easily with an adjustable flapper that lets you adjust the flush volume to that of a low-flow toilet. You can save yet another half gallon of water by installing a fill cycle diverter.

 

Another way to save water that many overlook is to address all the water wasted while you wait for the shower to heat up. You can handle thbe problem in one of two ways. First you can install a hot water recirculation system that hot water from the water heater more quickly and sends cool water back to the heater for reheating. Althoug more expensive that a recirculation system, a tankless hot water heater is an upgrade that offers on-demand hot water. The system heats water faster, saving energy. It does not store hot water in a tank and only sends water on demand, saving you water. 

Most people won't upgrade their bathroom all at once. Since the shower head will save you the most water, it's probably the best place to start. Save yourself some time and evergy finding a good low-flower showerhead by looking through the recommondations at  our gadgets store. Just click on “Low-Flow Shower Heads” to the left of your screen.

 

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