Now that the summer heat is in full swing, Sirius Plumbing and Air Conditioning would like to provide some helpful water conservation tips. Below are some easy steps to take to help minimize your indoor water consumption.

Easy ways you can help save water in your kitchen:

• Fix leaky faucets, install a water efficient faucet, or put a new low-flow aerator on your existing faucet
• Use a basin or fill the sink to wash dishes instead of running the faucet while you’re scrubbing
• Only wash a full load in the dishwasher – and scrape plates before loading instead of rinsing them
• Compost the majority of your food waste and only run your garbage disposal when absolutely necessary
• Keep a pitcher of drinking water in the fridge instead of running the faucet until it’s cold enough for drinking
• Catch leaks right away before they cause damage and waste water and turn off the water supply to your refrigerator, ice maker, or drinking water dispenser with a FloodStop water detection system

Did you know?

• Washing dishes by hand can actually use much more water than using a dishwasher – especially if you have an ENERGY STAR qualified model which uses an average of 1/3 LESS water than non-qualified models. You could potentially save up to 5,000 gallons of water and 230 hours of your time each year.
• You can save up to 8 gallons of water a day simply by reusing your kitchen water. Don’t pour water down the drain when there may be another use for it. For instance, when you give your pet fresh water, reuse the old water for your houseplants.
• It can be safer for your health AND conserve water if you thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator overnight rather than using water to defrost them.
• Wasted food = wasted water – not only when you use your garbage disposal to dispose of food waste, but also in the amount of water it took to produce the food. Give back to the earth by composting your food waste. If you don’t have a use for compost in your yard, offer compostable materials to neighbors or community garden projects.

Easy ways you can help save water in your bathroom:

• Install a stylish new WaterSense® certified bathroom faucet – and use it wisely by soaping up your hands before turning on the water, turning the tap off while brushing your teeth, and making sure leaks are attended to right away
• Take shorter showers and replace your old shower heads with WaterSense® certified low-flow shower heads. Or, keep your favorite shower head and use a shower flow regulator simply installed on your existing shower arm
• Install a water-saving flow control with your existing shower head so you can slow the water to a trickle while you’re shaving or shampooing to help conserve even more water
• Add a ShowerStart™ system to your shower to help prevent wasting water while you’re waiting for it to heat up – or consider installing a tankless water heater for instant hot water anywhere in your home
• Fix a leaky toilet or upgrade to a new 1.6gpf low-volume or 1.28gpf high efficiency toilet

Did you know?

• On average, 2/3 of all the water our homes use indoors is in the bathroom – and nearly 30% of all water usage in the home is being used by toilets.
• Fixing a toilet leak is a great way to reduce household water use and boost water conservation. If your toilet has a leak, you could be wasting about 200 gallons of water every day. That would be like flushing your toilet more than 50 times for no reason.
• Bathroom sink faucets and accessories that use a maximum of 1.5 gallons per minute can reduce a sink’s water flow by 30 percent or more from the standard flow of 2.2 gallons per minute without sacrificing performance.
• There are more than 300 million people in the United States. If each person reduced his or her shower time by one minute, we could save a combined 165 billion gallons each year!

Easy ways you can help save water in your home:

• Inspect pipes regularly for leaks or damage and fix any problems right away. Take care to protect ex posed pipes from being damaged or from freezing if you live in a colder climate.
• Know where your master shutoff valve is located. This could save water and prevent damage to your home in the event of pipes bursting, toilets or faucets leaking, or other similar instances. Also, make sure you replace worn supply lines and shutoff valves.
• Only use your washing machine when it’s full – and install a leak detector that will shut off the water supply if ruptured hoses, cracked fittings, or even internal failures occur.
• If you’re building a new house or remodeling, consider setting up a greywater system. These systems allow you to re-use the water from your sinks, laundry machine and dishwasher for watering house plants and flushing toilets. Alternatively, ask your plumber to re-route greywater to outdoor areas where it can water trees or bushes.

Did you know?

• The average washing machine uses about 41 gallons of water per load, and is the second largest water user in your home. High-efficiency washing machines use 35 to 50 percent less water, as well as 50 percent less energy per load. If you are in the market for a new clothes washer, consider buying a high-efficiency, water-saving ENERGY STAR labeled model to reduce water and energy use. Also, consider a model that offers cycle and load size adjustments, which are more water-and energy-efficient.
• ONE leaky faucet that drips at the rate of one drip per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons per year. A home with high-efficiency toilets could use that water to flush for six months!
• Being handy around the house doesn’t have to be difficult. Common types of leaks found in the home are worn toilet flappers, dripping faucets, and other leaking valves. These types of leaks are often easily correctable, in many cases requiring only a few tools and hardware that can pay for themselves in water savings.
• Even without modifying your plumbing, you can recycle grey water at home today if you’re willing to put a little elbow grease into it. Collect shower or bathtub water in a bucket. Dump the bucket into toilet bowls to flush the contents or use it to water the yard. HOWEVER, don’t let collected grey water sit for too long: Within 24 hours, bacteria and other pathogens can multiply, turning safe grey water into hazardous (and stinky) “blackwater.”

If you need help inspecting, repairing, or replacing fixtures or plumbing for your home, contact Sirius Plumbing & Air Conditioning at (972) 235-6600 for an appointment.