How To Make Your Home Energy Efficient This Spring

When people think of Spring upgrades for their homes that are aimed at increasing energy efficiency, they most often concentrate their efforts on cooling technologies and light usage.

However, there is a considerable amount of money that can be saved by increasing the efficiency that is built into their plumbing systems.

Partnering with plumbing professionals in order to install more efficient and sophisticated fixtures can lead to a wealth of savings while also raising the conservation standards in your home this Spring.

Consider making the following upgrades this year so that you can stop watching money flow effortlessly down the drain.

Water-Saving Toilets

The water used by the average toilet accounts for nearly 30 percent of water usage in the home. Models that are less-than-efficient or those that were manufactured before 1994 use approximately 1.6 gallons of water with every flush.

High-efficiency toilet models that are available in today’s market reduce this number considerably. There is also the option of switching to a dual-flush or composting toilet.

The dual-flush models work with two separate buttons for flushing, offering a higher one for solid waste and a lower handle for liquid waste. The result is an adjusted water usage depending on the needs at the moment.

This model of toilet is extremely popular throughout Europe and Australia and is slowly gaining popularity in America. The composting toilet actually uses little to no water when disposing of waste.

Every Time Your Shower

Showerheads are a close second to toilets when comparing water consumption in the home. At least 20 percent of the average household’s water is dedicated to showering.

Making the change to low-flow showerheads can reduce your water consumption in this area by as much as 70 percent. Most people assume that these models will result in weak streams of water that fail to remove soap from the hair and body.

On the contrary, today’s technology allows water to be conserved while still enjoying a strong stream of water in the shower.

The average shower head that is not built to reduce water usage consumes an average of 2.5 gallons of water per minute. When you reduce these numbers, the savings become evident right away.

Additionally, these fixtures reduce the demand for water heaters, lowering energy bills as well. Reports have shown savings in this area to be as high as 300-kilowatt hours on an annual basis.

The Faucet

Finally, minimize your water usage by switching to faucets that use no more than 1.5 gallons per minute.

It is also possible to upgrade your existing faucets by allowing the experts to make some small modifications.

This inexpensive equipment reduces water usage by adding flow restrictions or by incorporating aerator technology.

Interested in going green? Call S & D Plumbing to make your Austin home more energy efficient today.