When the cold weather rolls around many homeowners begin thinking of ways to save money on their energy bills. While you are busy insulating, weather stripping and getting your heating system checked you should also give a thought to saving on another essential expense – the amount of water you use in your home.
The average U.S. family uses about 400 gallons of water each and every day. Put in black and white like this it looks like an incredibly high figure but think about it – you run water to do the dishes at least once a day, you do laundry a couple of times a week and who knows how many times the toilet gets flushed every day. If your heating system is hot water based you will be using even more.
Much of the water we use in our homes is wasted, costing money and as the environmentalists keep reminding us hurting the planet. Saving water on a daily basis does not have to be hard. All it takes is a few simple remodeling and repair tweaks that are both affordable and easy to implement.
Even though toilets use far less water per flush than they did just a decade or so ago, they are still pretty wasteful things. A newer generation of super low flush toilets can change that though. The EPA have launched a program called Watersense that now certifies certain models of toilets. WaterSense labeled toilets can save the average family of four more than $90 annually on its water bills.
Ask your plumber which models he or she recommends.
Unseen toilet leaks are another source of water waste. To check for water leak in your toilet add a little food coloring to its tank. If it is indeed leaking the color will appear in the bowl within about fifteen minutes .
Your showerhead tends to drip occasionally after it has been used but that is not a big deal as it stops after a while. Wrong! The trouble is that it is a big deal. Every one of those drops of water is costing you money, more than it would for you to have a new low flow showerhead installed or at least call in a plumber to fix the existing one.
The same holds true of any of the faucets in your home. Get those dripping taps fixed now; you will be pleasantly surprised by your next water bill and that annoying drip,drip,drip, that wakes you up at 3a.m. will be gone as well.
There are lots of ways you and your family can cut down on water use. To begin with, only run the dishwasher when it is full and similarly only do laundry when you have a full load – choose a different blouse for that date tonight, don't run the washing machine just for that.
Even the simplest little changes can reap big savings. Stop running the water while you clean your teeth and cut a couple of minutes off that morning shower. None of these things cost a penny but they certainly will save you more than a few.