Easy Ways to Conserve Water at Home
Life in Southern California means being used to long, dry spells. It’s true we see rain for a bit around the winter, but during the rest of the year everything can be incredibly dry. That’s why water conservation is such a hot topic here. As it becomes more trendy to go green it’s important to look at small ways to conserve water at home.
Conserve Water in the Bathroom
Inside your home, the bathroom is the most common room to hemorrhage water use. Whether it’s longer showers or even just leaving the sink on while you brush your teeth, these actions can lead to a surprising amount of water waste.
Because an average bathroom faucet can run up to two gallons of water per minute, one of the best ways to conserve water is to turn off the faucet while you’re brushing your teeth, scrubbing your hands, or washing your face. Additionally, a simple faucet aerator can help restrict the flow of excess water. Most modern faucets come with an aerator already installed, but it’s important to check any older or vintage sinks.
Another big water waster we see is dripping shower heads. If your showerhead leaks 10 drips per minute, that leads to more than 500 gallons of lost water every year. Not only is that a drain on resources, but it can also add some money to your water bill. One of our favorite ways to save water, and money, in the shower is with a low-flow shower head. They can run the gamut in price but are easy to install on your own.
When it comes to bathroom maintenance, it’s best not to let things sit. A leaking faucet or shower head seems annoying, but they can also be an indicator of too much pressure in your system. No matter what, we recommend getting it checked out by a professional plumber.
Conserve Water in the Kitchen
When it comes to water use in the kitchen, we see the most waste when washing dishes and rinsing vegetables. If you’re asking why, the answer is the faucet. Far too many homeowners run the faucet while they scrub dishes or vegetables.
By running the faucet in the background, all that water just goes through your plumbing system and ends up as water waste. Instead, soak your dishes as you wash them. Also, be sure to soak your vegetables before scrubbing and a short rinse. This is an easy way to cut down on water usage and water waste in the kitchen.
Don’t forget, as we mentioned above, installing an aerator on your kitchen sink can help conserve water flow and usage. Additionally, addressing dripping and leaking faucets early is an important step in conserving water at home.
Conserve Water Outside
There’s a reason native gardens are gaining popularity all over Southern California. The grass used in most lawns are not native to our region, therefore they are not drought resistant. The beauty of native gardens is that they do not need as much water as a traditional lawn. Native California plants are generally drought resistant and require much less water.
Don’t be discouraged if you have a lawn you greatly enjoy, there are ways to have a lawn and conserve water at home. Consider using a watering can instead of sprinklers so you can control how much water is going into your yard.
Another good option is a drip irrigation or a soaker hose system. Drip irrigation will send water directly to the base of your plants. This means no water is lost to runoff or evaporation. They also run on timers and are easy to regulate. The drawback is that they can be costly and require a decent amount of maintenance.
A soaker hose looks like a traditional water hose, except it “weeps” water along the entire length of the hose. Soaker hoses are easy to install and easy to use. All you need to do is snake it along your garden, or wherever you want water. They can also run on timers to make everything easy. However, soaker hoses are not as versatile as a drip irrigation system. They are also affordable, but need to be covered with mulch so that they don’t receive any sun damage.
Check Your Water Usage Levels with a Plumbing Safety Inspection
The best way to check your water usage and plumbing efficiency is with a plumbing safety inspection. During an inspection, one of our expert plumbers will look at all aspects of your system and see if there are any issues that need to be addressed.
In terms of conservation, our plumbers will check your water pressure to make sure it’s at an acceptable rate. They will also look at your plumbing insulation which can affect how long you need to run your water to reach a warm temperature. Any leaks will be brought to your attention with next steps and any options.
Your pipes are only as good as their last checkup.
Want to Know the State of Your Pipes? Call us.
Our plumbers are on hand and ready to perform a plumbing safety inspection. At Service Champions we proudly serve our Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino county communities. We are the only Diamond Certified plumbing and HVAC company in Southern California, so our service can’t be beat. To meet your plumbing expert, call the number at the top of the screen or click here to schedule your appointment online.