Going Green Tips for your Plumbing

Did you know that the average family of four uses approximately 400 gallons of water each day?  A good percentage of that is simple waste but some may be due to leaky plumbing, including faucets and toilets.

The following are some quick and easy tips to help you conserve this precious natural resource, most of which are low or no cost.

• Never let water run unnecessarily (such as while brushing your teeth).
• Take a five-minute shower, not a bath.
• Run your washing machine and dishwasher only with full loads.
• Install aerator faucets and low-flow showerheads.
• Update your toilet with a new high-efficiency model.
• Fix toilet leaks and faucet drips.
• Install a tankless hot water heater and never again let water run while you wait for hot water.
• Perform a water use assessment for your home.

A dripping faucet can waste more than 3,000 gallons of water a year, a leaky toilet more than 73,000 gallons.  Old inefficient toilets made before 1993 use 3.5 gallons of water per flush, but newer ones use less than 1.3 gallons.  Changing out your toilet alone could save a family of four more than $90 on their water bill annually which amounts to $2,000 over the life of the toilet.

To find out whether you have a leak in your home, select a two-hour period when no water is being used.  You can assume you have a leak somewhere if your water meter registers a change from the beginning to the end of that period.

Use a drop of food coloring in the tank of your toilet to detect leaks.  If you see the color in the toilet bowl and you haven’t flushed, the toilet is leaking.

For drain maintenance use only a 100% biodegradable product such as ARS/Rescue Rooter’s Drainright® product.

Conserving our water supply by wise use and eliminating waste are simple steps toward your goal of green living. Contact ARS/Rescue Rooter^® to assess the water efficiency of your home and to identify and repair any leaks.