Many homeowners try to save water at home by reducing the amount of water that they waste. For example, you may know not to leave the water running while brushing your teeth or while shampooing your hair. That’s a good approach to save some water, but it’s only one piece of the puzzle. Below are four additional water-saving tips you can try in your home.
1. Save Water at Home With Low-Flow Fixtures
Many faucets in the home can be replaced with ones that use less water. With a basic set of tools and a couple of hours on the weekend, you can easily replace your faucets and shower heads with a low-flow fixture.
You can even buy toilets that are designed to create a powerful flush while using less water. Some designs even have buttons on top of the tank to control how much water is used with each flush.
2. Locate and Seal Leaky Pipes and Faucets
Leaky pipes are another cause of wasted water. These leaky pipes not only waste water around the clock, but they can do a lot of damage to your home. And if a rusty, leaky pipe ends up bursting open, the damage could be substantial and costly.
Check your walls, ceilings, and floors for stains, discoloration, mildew, musty smells, or other signs of water damage. Check under your washing machine to see if the floor gets damp while clothes are washing. Leaky faucets inside and outside the house should be tightened up or replaced. Be sure to check the drain valve at the bottom of your water heater for leaks, too.
3. Change Up Your Landscaping
Many parts of the country regularly experience water shortages with no clear signs of long-term relief. One solution is drought-resistant landscaping including succulents, rock gardens, and even artificial grass. These low-maintenance forms of landscaping can reduce or even completely eliminate your need for watering. Some homes even have artificial trees to provide shade alongside the home.
4. Install Greywater Systems to Recycle Used Water
Another way to reduce your water bill is to recycle water to use outside the home. Many homeowners today are installing greywater systems that reclaim the water that goes down your drains and reserves it for outdoor use.
This can add up to substantial savings over the long run. If you just can’t part with your lawn and flower gardens, then this might be a great solution to offset the cost of maintaining your yard and watering all those plants.
Saving water at home doesn’t have to be complicated, inconvenient, or expensive. While some options are more affordable than others, all of the solutions above are effective. Start with one of the easier options like installing a low-flow shower head or tightening up a leaky faucet. Then when you are ready, save water at home by adding more water-saving features as you are able.
Conway Inspections offers water testing and other home inspection services to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Contact us to book an appointment.