San Diego Plumbing & The High Cost of Water
It’s important to stay on top of your San Diego plumbing system. Our city is rich with history and character – this brings with it aging neighborhoods, homes…and plumbing. And anyone responsible for their household’s utility bill knows that water doesn’t come cheap…and it’s not getting cheaper.
Find & Fix Leaks
An important step to start conserving water (and saving money) is to identify and fix leaks. A whole-home plumbing inspection will detect leaks and any other inefficiencies, as well as identify any potential plumbing disasters (think slab leaks, mold, sewage back-up). This review of your entire plumbing system is fairly inexpensive and goes a long way toward peace of mind.
3 Easy Plumbing Upgrades for Conservation
If you’re already confident that you are free of leaks, here are some other next steps to serious water conservation:
- Toilets: Toilets are a top offender for water loss in a home – particularly toilets manufactured in the early 1990’s or earlier. Toilet flushing is responsible for about 30% of an average home’s water consumption – no small feat when you take into consideration things like showering, dish washing, sprinklers, and more. Low flush toilets and dual flush toilets are great eco-friendly options that conserve water by allocating less water per flush.
- Faucets: A standard faucet can release slightly more than 2.5 gallons of water per minute which can quickly add up in wasted water and in your water bills. Conserve water and save big by either installing a flow restrictor or water-saving aerator. Better yet, consider installing a high-efficiency fixture that offers a flow rate of 1.5 gallons per minute or less.
- Shower Heads: Who doesn’t love a nice, hot shower? We love our showers so much that nearly 20% of our average household water usage occurs through showering. There are a multitude of water conservation-friendly fixtures available on the market, including low-flow shower heads that can save up to 70% of the water expended on a standard shower head. Although rain showerheads or multi-setting shower heads offer a customized experience, these shower heads are typically not very eco-friendly and tend to waste more water…gallons per minute…increasing your utility bill.
Effects of Plumbing Fixture Updates
Updating these fixtures has a significant impact on efficiency, and when multiple households make the change, the results are exponential. In fact, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has stated that, if all U.S. households were to install water-efficient fixtures and appliances, our country could save more than three trillion gallons of water and more than $18 billion dollars each year.
There are many ways to conserve water – from installing new fixtures to simply being more mindful about the water that you use for everyday activities, such as watering plants, showering, washing dishes, or even watering the lawn. Taking action to use less water protects our precious resource and keeps more money in your wallet. To learn more about high-efficiency plumbing fixtures, give us a call at (866) 374-0402 or contact us online.