You can save money and energy every month by reducing hot water usage in your home. Less energy use means reduced greenhouse gasses so by following a few energy saving tips, you’ll keep more money in your wallet at the same time you help conserve the environment.
Fixing leaks in plumbing fixtures wastes less hot water and results in savings on energy bills and water bills. If you have leaky faucets or showerheads, have them fixed or replaced by a qualified faucet repair plumber. If you are replacing faucets or showerheads, ask your plumber to install low-flow fixtures.
Modern faucets and showerheads use far less water than older fixtures while still providing excellent water flow. By federal law, all showerheads and faucets have flow rates no higher than 2.5 gallons per minute which is less than half of some fixtures sold before 1992.
Low flow showerheads come in two types: laminar flow and aerating. Aerating showerheads have an aerator that mixes air with the water much like a faucet. Laminar flow showerheads use individual streams of water. Both save money and energy by conserving hot water, but aerating showerhead create a little more steam and moisture in your bathroom and may be better suited for climates where humidity is not a concern.
Some homeowners have been dissatisfied with the performance of their low flow fixtures, but if you purchase fixtures with the Watersense label, you can be assured that the fixture has been tested by and independent laboratory and found to use less water without sacrificing performance.
