Ways to Save Water In Your Bathroom
October 31, 2009
According to experts, the global demand for water has tripled over the last 50 years. This, coupled with the fact that water tables are falling, means we’re in danger of running out of water. Not today or tomorrow. Nevertheless, it is still important for each and every one of us to conserve the water we use and to be conscious of how much we use.
The good news is, little things we do every day can make a big difference. Here are seven ways to save water in your bathroom.
1. Use an aerator. Aerators are little, inexpensive, devices that you can install in your faucets and showerheads yourself. They restrict the flow, but not the water pressure, so you use half the water you normally do. Most showerheads, for example, use 5-10 gallons per minute while a low flow showerhead or one with an aerator will drop that number down to 2/5 gallons per minute. That’s significant savings!
Try: Danco 88270 360-Degree Swivel Aerator and Sprayer, Plastic, Chrome/White
2. Place a timer in the shower. This is great for children and adults who can seem to get lost daydreaming in the shower. It’s amazing how long a little person can stay in the shower. Place a timer in the shower to make everyone more aware of their water consumption You can purchase shower timers with suction cups on the back so they stick right on the shower wall and let you know when your five or 10 minutes are almost up.
3. Turn up the hot water heater. Ever turn on the shower and then walk away? Many people need to wait for the shower water to heat up but every minute the shower is running is water down the drain. However, if you turn your hot water heater up, your shower water will reach your desired temperature much more quickly. A warning here: if you have small children in the house, keep your hot water thermostat below 120 to prevent accidental scalding.
4. Don’t run water. It should go without saying, but leaving the water faucet running while you’re brushing your teeth and washing your face is a waste. Turn the water off when you’re not using it.
5. High efficiency toilets. If you’re in the market for a new toilet, consider one of those wonderful high efficiency toilets. Many variations are available. Some are low flow toilets, which save an average of 25 gallons of water each day. Also available are gravity toilets, pressure assist toilets, and those handy toilets that let you decide what type of flush you need, ahem #1 or #2. At any rate, low flow, efficiency toilets, are a great way to save water in your bathroom.
6. Maintain faucets and plumbing, so they don’t leak. Faucets, toilets and even showerheads are not made of kryptonite; they break down and their components break down. Those little dents, cracks, and misaligned seals cause leaks and you’d be surprised how much water you can waste in a day with a leaky faucet or toilet. One faucet dripping twice a minute in your home adds up to 69 gallons of wasted water each day.
7. Finally, if purchasing a new toilet isn’t in your future, consider placing weights in the tank of your toilet. You can make home-made weights with an inch of sand in a plastic water bottle filled with water, or you can purchase float boosters. This method is said to save more than 10 gallons of water each day.
Saving water in the bathroom is easy and it’s a great way to make a significant dent in your annual water consumption. Every little bit helps us stay on top of a plentiful water supply for generations to come.
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Great post. Those toilets that have two different fluhes are called dual flush toilets. They can save the average home up to 18,000 gallons of water per year. Which can save you money on your water and sewage bills.
-Save Water Project