When it comes to lowering your family’s carbon footprint and reducing your water consumption, there are many different things that you can do. Your plumbing system is a great place to start. We’re going to do a deep dive into some of the most common plumbing upgrades that homeowners invest in to help make their homes more eco-friendly.
Low-Flow Fixtures
One of the easiest eco-friendly plumbing upgrades that you can do for your home is to invest in new plumbing fixtures that feature low-flow technology. These are available for faucets and shower heads in all different types of styles and sizes. Low-flow fixtures work by integrating air with the water that comes out of your faucet via an aerator. This allows the water to come out at the same pressure while reducing the amount of consumption that you’re using. In fact, most homeowners don’t even notice a difference in the amount of water from their faucet when they switch from a typical faucet to a low-flow faucet.
High-Efficiency Toilets
Another really easy upgrade to do for your home is to invest in high-efficiency toilets. If your toilets are over 40 years old, they could be using over 5 gallons per individual flush. That’s a lot of water consumption throughout the day. Modern-day toilets only use about 1.6 gallons per flush to put that into perspective. If you decide to go with a high-efficiency toilet, it will use around 1.28 gallons per flush, which is still significantly less than a modern-day toilet uses.
Tankless Water Heater
One very popular upgrade for Seattle homeowners is a tankless water heater. These units are much smaller in design than their traditional tank-style counterpart and offer very high operating efficiency. The EPA estimates that homeowners can save up to 30% on their annual energy usage for their water heater by upgrading from a tank water heater to a tankless version.
The beauty is in the operation of a tankless water heater, as it only turns on when you turn on your hot water faucet. It doesn’t waste any excess energy by trying to heat up water in a storage tank until you need it like a traditional tank water heater does.
Greywater Recycling
If you’re very serious about reducing your household’s water consumption, then you may want to invest in a gray water recycling system. This does come at a higher upfront cost but can be well worth it when it comes to water savings throughout the year. Greywater is water that comes out of your sinks and not your toilets. This water can be recycled easily for outdoor use in your garden or irrigation system. By reusing this water for your outdoor watering, you can drastically reduce the amount of freshwater that you use for outdoor consumption.
Insulation
Another very simple yet effective strategy for helping to reduce your water and energy consumption is to invest in insulation. All of your pipes should have insulation on them so that they can better retain the internal temperature of the water without being affected by the surrounding air. This can be particularly helpful in the wintertime when temperatures get cold so that your hot water lines can still remain relatively warm while the water travels to your plumbing fixtures. Apart from insulating your piping, you should also consider insulating your hot water heater tank to help keep retain the heat.
Water Softener System
One system that can have a big impact on all the different plumbing components of your home is a water softener system. If you have hard water in your home, it can accumulate on all of your fixtures in the form of limescale buildup. This can cause premature deterioration of metal components and lead to a much shorter lifespan. Instead of having to replace your components as often, you can invest in a water softener system that removes those excess minerals from your water before they ever reach your plumbing fixtures. This will lead to a longer lifespan for your hot water heater, as well as all of your piping and respective valves.
Great Plumbing Installation Service
Rush Plumbing Inc offers great plumbing services for the Seattle, WA community, including installations and upgrades. We can also help with all your plumbing inspection, replacement, and repair needs. Call Rush Plumbing Inc today to book your next service appointment with one of our helpful plumbing professionals.
