Water is a finite natural resource that ought to be used wisely. Statistics confirm that Americans today use 127 percent more water than they did in the 1950s. Moreover, nearly 95 percent of this water flows down the drain. Fortunately, smart technology can be employed to ensure efficient use of water and lower your water bill. Investing in smart and resource-efficient fixtures and appliances can save the average American household over $250 annually.
The average family in the U.S. uses 300 gallons of water each day, of which 70 percent is consumed indoors. To conserve water and lower your water bill, it is best to install smart water-saving devices and technologies that are easy-to-use and highly efficient.
Here are five ways in which you can use smart technology for maximum water conservation at home.
1. Use Water-And-Energy-Efficient Fixtures and Appliances
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, a household can save 13 thousand gallons of water per year by replacing inefficient and old fixtures with WaterSense labeled ones. Old fittings and appliances consume a significant amount of water and energy, wasting these precious resources and increasing your utility bills.
Installing water-efficient fixtures with a WaterSense label, however, can help conserve water, reduce wastewater processing and infrastructure cost and lower your water bill.
When purchasing dishwashers, washing machines, and other home appliances that use water, invest in the ones offering smart technology and bearing an Energy Star tag. Appliances with this tag are specially designed to utilize energy and water efficiently.
2. Fix Leaks
The United States Environmental Protection Agency confirms that at least ten percent of American houses have leaks that result in the waste of more than 90 gallons of water per day.
A minor leak in the average household can amount to the wastage of more than ten thousand gallons of water in a year. Therefore, it is crucial to get your plumbing and irrigation systems checked thoroughly by a local home improvement expert or a licensed plumber. Worn out toilet valve seals, leaking valves, damaged pipes and fittings, and dripping taps with damaged gaskets are the most common causes of leaks in any household.
Install a water flow meter to test for leaks. Turn off the appliances that use water and check the meter after two to three hours. If the meter still shows a change in reading, it signifies a leak in your water-supply system.
Smart water meters help you control the water usage in the house. They use ultrasonic technology to send signals from one transducer to the other, thus measuring the rate of water flow to each appliance in your house.
A smart-home-enabled leak detector is also extremely handy in identifying water wastage due to leaks and can easily connect to your smartphone. This device detects condensation and leaks in the water-supply system and notifies you about them through its mobile application. At the first sign of a leak, you can use this automatic leak detection system to shut off the water supply from anywhere.
3. Conserve Water in the Kitchen the Smart Way
Your kitchen uses a lot of water for cooking, drinking, washing vessels and groceries, and cleaning. Washing dishes manually takes about 16 gallons of water compared to ten gallons per load when washed in a smart dishwasher. Consider investing in an energy-efficient dishwasher and make sure you wash a full load of utensils in each cycle.
Smart faucets are equipped with sensors and aerators that make it easy to control the amount of water consumed in the kitchen. The touch faucet is another device that controls the flow of water. Installing these smart devices in your kitchen can help you converse water.
The laundry also consumes a considerable amount of water every day. Energy Star and WaterSense-labeled washing machines possess high Modified Energy Factor (MEF) and low Water Factor (WF), enabling you to use resources prudently.
4. Smarten up Your Bathroom
Bathrooms account for 47 percent of the domestic water consumption. Older toilets consume more than six gallons of water per flush, which is four times more than WaterSense-labeled toilets. The current federal plumbing standards suggest that toilets should not use more than 1.6 gallons per flush. Consider replacing old toilets with WaterSense-certified toilets that use lesser water (1.28 gallons per flush).
A shower leaking at ten drops per minute wastes over 500 gallons annually. Installing smart low-flow showerheads and faucets can help you save one gallon water per minute. Water-activated shower timers offer reminders to avoid overuse of the shower, training you to conserve water.
Smart-technology-enabled faucets employ sensors to regulate the flow of water depending on the usage. These low-flow faucets are highly efficient and sensitive to motion and touch. They control the amount of water you use for bathing, drinking, or cleaning.
5. Use Smart Irrigation Controls in Your Garden
Residential landscape irrigation in the U.S. accounts for more than nine billion gallons of water each day. A large proportion of this water (nearly 50 percent) is wasted due to excessive watering and inefficient irrigation systems.
Set smart-technology-enabled sprinklers to water your lawn. Program these sprinklers to water early in the morning and evening, when it’s less sunny. This will reduce wastage of water due to evaporation.
Smart sprinklers can also be programmed based on the weather, the humidity, and the evaporation rate. They can be connected to voice assistants like Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa to deliver timely water to your plants.
Smart irrigation controls help reduce outdoor water wastage and ensure adequate watering to keep your yard green always. Moreover, they can reduce the outdoor water wastage by 50 percent.
A smart-technology-enabled sprinkler system connects to your smartphone, enabling you to keep a check on the water used for irrigation. It is also wise to install a rain sensor that will enable you to shut off the watering system when it rains or if a storm is forecasted
Technological advances are making it easier to conserve water, making homes smart and water-and-energy-efficient. The above-mentioned pointers will motivate you to take advantage of smart technology to curb water wastage in your home and lower your water bill.
Guest Author Bio: Nicola Reynor is a passionate blogger who loves to blog about home and lifestyle trends. She regularly contributes to Abest Meter. When in leisure time, she prefers to spend time in traveling with friends and family.