Going Green With Your Home’s Plumbing
Are you an environmentally conscious member of our community? Do you perform home maintenance not just to update equipment in your home, but to do so in an eco-friendly way? Are you looking for every way possible to green up the equipment and systems of your home, eliminating your carbon footprint as much as possible?
Looking at your home’s plumbing system is one of the best things you can do.
Let’s face it; our plumbing system controls some of the most potentially wasteful items in our home. Things we use every day. Like showers. And toilets.
A plumbing overhaul may not be in the cards – for now – but utilizing one small tip on a regular basis can help provide a healthier living environment for you now and for years to come. Need a few to get you started?
Install Low-Flow Bathroom Fixtures
A low-flow fixture or appliance means it requires very little water to function. A dual flush toilet, for instance, is designed to use very little water for liquid waste, a stronger flush for solid waste. The result is a toilet that potentially saves thousands of gallons of water per year in the average home.
Showerheads are also a cause of excessive water usage. With a low-flow fixture in place, water usage can be reduced by as much as a half gallon per minute, ultimately saving thousands of gallons per year. Combine that with the energy used to heat the water, and you’ll easily reap the rewards on your monthly utility bills.
Replace Old Appliances
The Energy Star program was designed by the EPA as a way to measure energy efficiency in home appliances. You’ll see it on every appliance within your home: washers, dryers, refrigerators, dishwashers, water heaters and more. Replacing old appliances and upgrading the Energy Star rating will ultimately provide you with savings on both your water and your utility bills.
Use Natural Cleaning Products
Chances are you don’t have to be told that using harsh chemicals to clean your home is not only harmful to the environment, but can be harmful (even deadly) for your family as well.
If you’ve made the switch are using eco-friendly products when you clean your surfaces, make the transition to all things in your home. Move away from harsh chemical-based drain cleaner. By adding an enzyme based cleaner to your drain on a regular basis, you can help prevent clogs from forming before they reach the point of causing your problems. And because enzyme based cleaners work by introducing bacteria that eats through clogs instead of chemicals, there won’t be harmful products entering your system, through your pipes and ultimately out into the environment.
What home maintenance item have you completed to help you go green?