5 WATER-SAVING TIPS TO CUT YOUR USAGE

In honor of Water Week, we’d like to offer five suggestions for cutting your residential water use. Boston has an abundance of clean, safe drinking water, but that doesn’t mean that water conservation isn’t necessary. Conserving water can help reduce your water bills and make your home more safe and comfortable.
Eliminate leaks.
Leaks are a substantial source of residential water consumption. By eliminating leaks in your faucets and fixtures, you can reduce your water consumption and prevent health hazards (like mold and structural damage) from becoming a problem in your home. Check your faucets and fixtures for leaks, and replace seals, connectors and broken fixtures right away.
Use water-saving fixtures.
Low flow faucets, showerheads and toilets can significantly reduce your water consumption. In the past, homeowners were reluctant to use some kinds of low-flow fixtures, especially low-flow toilets. Modern toilet designs use less water and clear the bowl as effectively as older designs that use more water. If you need to replace toilet or shower fixtures in your home, low-flow is the way to go!
Don’t use your toilet as a trash can.
Some people flush tissues, cigarette butts, sanitary products and other “household” waste down the toilet. Sewer systems can manage the tissues, but other objects and discards should be thrown away. Toilet paper is designed to dissolve in water. Other household trash items will survive the trip through the sewers and could come back to cause other problems! In addition, each flush will throw as much as 5 gallons (or more) down the toilet. Use the toilet for its intended purposes, but find a more eco-friendly way to dispose of your trash.
Use a shower timer.
The average American shower lasts about eight minutes, but a five-minute shower could cut your water usage by nearly 40%. Buy an inexpensive shower timer – looks like the old fashioned sand timer and fastens to the shower wall with suction cups – to work your shower time down to just five minutes. You’ll reduce your water consumption and your water bill at the same time!
Turn the water off when you …
…brush your teeth or shave. You can also turn the water off when you’re preparing food in the kitchen. If you wash your dishes by hand, install a double-bowl sink and use a standing rinse to remove soap from the dishes rather than running water from the tap.
Enjoy Water Week and set a goal to save water this summer. If you would like professional assistance to install water-saving fixtures or toilets in your home, call us at Boston Standard Plumbing & Heating at (617) 288-2911 to set up an appointment. We can recommend a wide range of affordable, water-conserving products for your home. Visit Boston Standard Plumbing on Facebook!

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DIY Air Conditioning, DIY Blog, DIY Plumbing, Tips and Tricks

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