7 Tips To Make Your Plumbing Eco-Friendly
You are wondering how to make your plumbing eco-friendly in honor of earth day this year? Well, the expert team at CAM Total Service has just the answers you need, including several surprising suggestions you may not initially think of (more on that later). Let’s get started!
1. Eliminate Leaks
We all know that water is a necessary resource for every living thing’s survival. However, we also know that it’s far from infinite. A fundamental way to proactively reduce your home’s water waste is to eliminate leaks from your plumbing. Did you know that within the US alone, 14% of indoor water use is from leaks? Leaks actively waste water! Even minor leaks can cause significant problems! Sometimes leaks are obvious, such as an annoying dripping faucet or running toilet. However, other times you won’t know you have a leak until you notice a sudden spike in your water usage or a water meter running when no faucets are on. When this happens, you should call a plumbing company you trust to detect and repair these unseen leaks!
2. Shorten Your Showers
That deliciously long shower you like to take after a long day may not be the best option when it comes to helping the planet or your pocketbook. On average, every minute spent in the shower equates to 2 gallons of water. The shower of a typical American lasts 8 minutes. So if you shower daily, reducing your shower time by just a minute could save sixty gallons of water per month. This doesn’t only help lower your water bill but also your environmental footprint.
3. Insulate Your Pipes
Heating is the biggest sucker of energy. Although Southwest Florida isn’t known for freezing, cold temperatures, there are still plenty of days where pipes can and do freeze. When water takes a long time to warm up, you usually leave the water running for extended periods of time. Insulating your pipes is a great way to shorten the time it takes for the hot water to reach you. This small change can save both water and electricity since your water heater won’t have to work as hard to provide enough hot water. You can insulate any pipes outside yourself using foam. However, when it comes to the basement or tricky-to-reach pipes, call a plumber!
4. Install Low-Flow Faucets
Many traditional faucets tragically allow more water to flow out than you need. Newer, low-flow, and aerated faucets reduce the amount of water you use without changing your perceived water pressure.
For example, a standard shower head will deliver 26 gallons of water during a 10-minute shower. However, a low-flow shower head will reduce the water usage to 20 gallons without impacting your water pressure.
5. New Water Heater
We know no one wants to spend their hard-earned money on a new water heater. Trip to Disney World? Yes, please! A new tankless water heater? Uh… maybe not so much. However, a tankless water heater eliminates wasting energy on heating a whole tank of hot water. Instead, a tankless water heater allows you to heat hot water only as you need it. It may not be Disney World, but it is still pretty magical!
6. Install a Water Filtration System
Home water filtration systems can improve the conditions of your plumbing system by reducing corrosion. For example, harsh chemical compounds added to municipal water can lead to faster corrosion of your pipes, increasing the likelihood of your plumbing developing leaks. As an added bonus, a water filtration system removes contaminants and other harmful materials from your water.
Instead of grabbing that chemical bottle of drain cleaner to unclog your toilet, opt for a good old-fashioned plunger first. Don’t have a plunger? No problem. There are more ways to unclog that toilet without using harsh chemicals. It doesn’t require excessive water to wash chemicals through the pipes and removes the possibility of the chemicals damaging your plumbing and hurting the environment.
Whenever possible, use natural products, as anything that goes into your system can potentially come in contact with groundwater, impacting the environment.
Call Your Eco-Friendly Southwest Florida Plumber Today!
Here at CAM Total Service, we strive to provide the best plumbing services in Southwest Florida! Part of that is offering services from people you can trust at reasonable prices you can afford. Another aspect of that is offering plumbing services that help our environment, keeping the earth beautiful for future generations. So call us today to learn how we can help get your plumbing more eco-friendly.
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