Water and Sewer bills can be as high as $500 for the average household. According to the EPA, you can save up to $170 per year and conserve resources by making just a few small changes in your water usage. From replacing old and inefficient appliances to making small changes in your home, you have the potential to realize savings. Below are some tips for you to follow:
Bathrooms
The single largest use of water in your home can be attributed to your toilets. A leaky toilet can waste up to 200 gallons of water in a single day. That’s a lot of water over the course of a year. It is estimated that 20% of all toilets leak, and some so slowly that a leak can go undetected for years.
You can perform a leak inspection yourself to see if your toilets are leaking by adding a few drops of food coloring to the toilet tank. If there is a leak, you will start seeing the colored water in the bowl within a few minutes. Once you determine whether you have a leak or not, flush the toilet to clear out the colored water and to avoid staining the porcelain. If you are unable to fix the leak, you could consider purchasing and installing a new high efficiency toilet. Some of these high efficiency toilets have a dual flush system which will allow for a 0.8 gallon or a 1.6 gallon flush. There are also toilet retrofit flush mechanisms that will allow you to convert an existing toilet to a dual flush. These dual flush options can save up to 6000 gallons of water over the course of a year.
Kitchens
Did you know that a faucet in the kitchen, dripping one drip per second can add up to 3000 gallons of wasted water per year. A drip may seem like a small deal but it can cost you a bunch in the long run. Faucet drips can typically be fixed by replacing the seals. Seal kits are inexpensive and fairly simple to install.
Only use your dishwasher when full. Running partial loads wastes water and electricity. There are dish washers out there that have half load options or express wash cycles that can be used for small loads or lightly soiled dishes. You may want to consider one of these models if you are in the market for a new dish washer.
Lawns
Of course we all want to have a nice green lawn. Keeping your lawn and garden green can account for at least 30% of your household water usage. There are some smart watering techniques that you can use to help reduce your water usage outside. Watering in the cool morning will reduce evaporation. Sprinklers should be positioned so that they aren’t watering sidewalks, driveways or the street.
By keeping your eye on a few of the potential water wasting areas of your hole, you can help to conserve a precious natural resource and save yourself utility costs.
Rick Erickson, Home Inspector, HomePro Home Inspections, Serving Rochester and Southeastern, MN. 507-202-8942
