Summer comes with its own plumbing problems, and one of the biggest is using too much water when it’s hot outside. Not only is this bad for the environment, but it does no good to your monthly water bill.
Here’s where you’re spending the most on water in your home, according to the plumbing experts at Warner Service in Frederick, Maryland:
- The tap of bathroom and kitchen sinks. When you’re brushing your teeth, water comes out of the faucet at an average of 2.5 gallons per minute, which goes down the drain -- unused. Leave the faucet off while you brush your teeth twice a day or when you’re doing dishes by hand.
If you do wash dishes by hand, invest in a dual sink. Fill one side with hot, soapy water to wash dirty dishes, and fill the other side with cool, clear water to rinse. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), you use half of the water you would from using a single sink.
Also, slow faucet drips from the tap are one of the biggest culprits to wasted water, losing an average of 20 gallons per day, according to Forbes. This adds up on the monthly water bill. Call a plumbing professional to tighten loose faucets and to fix any leaky plumbing anatomy. - Cooking. To save water in the summer, break out the cool potato salad, deli sandwiches, and fresh fruits and vegetables. If you want to make a hot meal like pasta, drain the water into a separate bowl or bucket. Wait until it cools, and use this extra water to quench the thirst of your houseplants.
- The shower and bathtub. Shorten your showers, and avoid baths, especially if you have older shower heads that use as much as 5 gallons of water per minute. At an average shower time of 9 minutes and 15 seconds, that’s more than 45 gallons of water per cleaning. Worse off, the average bathtub holds around 80 gallons of water.
Don't take long showers or hot baths to conserve water in your home. Set a timer to five minutes or less, as this practice saves a few bucks on your monthly water bill, too. - Outdoor plants. Summer rain takes care of exterior landscaping, but it’s still important to water everything at the right time of day. Care2 suggests watering outdoor plants in the early morning. Cooler morning temperatures mean losing less water to evaporation.
Don't water outdoor plants in the evening, despite cooler temperatures, because it promotes mold growth. - The backyard or in-ground pool. Summer means breaking out the backyard pool, which isn’t always great for the environment. Before Memorial Day, invest in a pool cover. A cover retains the temperature of a heated pool and reduces evaporation. This cuts replacement water by 30 to 50 percent, according to the EPA.
- The washing machine. Sandy bathing suits, muddy shorts, and sweaty shirts are all staples of summer laundry. Yet, don’t run the washing machine until it’s completely full. It’s impossible not to do laundry every week, but avoid running this water-heavy appliance until it’s completely full. Those half-loads waste a lot of water, and this tip also goes for dishwashers.
Whether it’s for a half-full dishwasher, dehydrated plants, or bad cooking habits, water is a resource that's always used around your home.
For more information on how to save money and conserve water, download Warner Service’s DIY Plumbing Checklist. Click on the button below:
