In California, problems with water use and droughts abound across the state. Even as you work to reduce the amount of water you use through daily habits like taking shorter showers or using gray water for your garden, you can still do more. Your home’s plumbing fixtures contribute significantly to the amount of water you use. Older, inefficient models could waste more water than necessary. Consider some of these more efficient models for your home.
Low-Flow Toilets
The toilet in your home may use a lot more water than it needs. By switching out to a more efficient toilet, you could reduce your water use by 20%.
If you feel that a single, low water use flush will not be enough for your needs, you may choose a dual flush option. These toilets offer two settings, depending on how much you need. They can flush with as little as 0.8 gallons on the lowest setting. The higher setting uses more water to accommodate a wider range of situations.
Shower Heads
How much water you use during a shower depends greatly on the water flow of the shower head. If you have an older home with a shower installed before 1994, you may have a full-flow shower head that used up to 5.5 gallons per minute (gpm). After 1994, the Department of Energy restricted the maximum flow rate to 2.5 gpm.
Low-flow showers use no more than 2 gpm. We have models that only require 1.6 gpm. In addition to saving water, these shower heads reduce the amount of energy your water heater needs to send hot water to your shower.
Save Water With These Fixtures
If you want to make a contribution to reducing the amount of water you use, contact us at Plumbing Concepts to install these water-efficient fixtures. You can also have us replace old, leaky pipes through repiping. Leaking pipes can increase your water bills and waste valuable water. Don’t be a water hog. Replace your old, water-hungry fixtures for low-flow options to be a smarter water user.
