Environment Plumbing Tips
Learn about a few quick tips that can save you hundreds in the long run, with many you can do on your own.
How to Fix a Leak:
- Household leaks can add up to gallons of water lost every day. Household leaks waste an average of 10,000+ gallons of water a year (that’s per family!) That’s equal to about 270+ loads of laundry. Leaks include things such as pipes, running toilets, dripping faucets and leaking hose bibs.
Have a WaterSense labeled showerhead and faucet installed.
- A typical showerhead wastes approx. 2900 gallons of water, 13 days of energy to power the average home and $70.00 per year. WaterSense labeled showerheads save water and energy while still providing a satisfying spray. WaterSense labeled shower heads are available in many styles and price points. If every home in the United States replaced existing shower heads with Water Sense labeled models we could save more than 260 billion gallons of water and nearly $5.1 billion in water and energy costs across the country annually.
- These eco-friendly faucets incorporate a flow-optimized aerator, allowing the faucet to flow at a rate of 1.5 gpm, versus traditional aerators which flow at 2.2 gpm.
Install a kitchen sink garbage disposal:
- Each year the United States generates nearly 34 million tons of food waste that is trucked to landfills. Once there it quickly decomposes and produces methane, an environmentally harmful greenhouse gas at least 21 times more potent than CO2. Food waste disposers provide an environmentally friendly alternative to transporting leftovers to landfills. Plus, capable wastewater treatment plants can even recycle food scraps into energy and fertilizer.
- Install a hot water recirculation system:
- Hot water recirculating systems have the potential to solve the problem of a long wait for hot water at a distant fixture, while simultaneously saving energy, water and money.
Install a properly sized Tankless Water Heater:
- Tankless water heaters can be 30% more efficient than a 50-gallon tank water heater, tankless wa
ter heaters are healthy for your wallet and the environment. But they aren’t for everyone! Please contact us to find out if your application is a good fit.
Install a solar water heater:
- By using sunshine to heat or preheat your water, you can cut your water heating bill in half. This means you can save $140 annually or $2,900 over the lifetime of the water heater, if you combine solar with a backup gas storage water heater instead of using the gas water heater alone. If you have an electric tank water heater for back-up, you’ll save about $280 or $5,200 over the lifetime of the water heater each year on electricity bills. Large families with greater hot water needs can save even more. You can also save money by showering in the evening when the water is hotter. ENERGY STAR certified solar water heaters can cut your carbon dioxide emissions in half. Installing a certified solar water heater will prevent 4,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere annually. This is the equivalent of not driving your car for four months every year! The average life expectancy of certified solar water heating systems is 20 years, much longer than standard gas or electric storage water heaters.