Wasting Money and Water Can Be a Pain in the Drain

A glass of water in a restaurant may come for free, but water use in your home comes at a price. 

     Taking a few small steps to conserve water can help you save big.  The Department of Energy offers several recommendations.

    Fix Leaks.  the sound of dripping is annoying and expensive, with one drip per second typically costing $1 per month.

     Install Low-Flow fixtures.  Quality, low-flow fixtures can be quite inexpensive, while achieving water savings of 25%-60%.

     Wash Dishes Efficiently.  Hand-washing dishes does not necessarily save hot water.  An energy-efficient dishwasher when properly used and operating with full loads can consume less energy then washing dishes by hand several times a day.

     When available, use shorter cycles to reduce hot water use.  Plus, save by not using the heat-dry, rinse -hold and pre-rinse features.

     Wash Clothes Efficiently.  Use either cold or warm water, and always use cold water for rinsing.  In the case of aging appliances, an old washer can cost three times as much to operate as an energy-efficient one.

      Lower Water Heater Thermostat.  Reduce water heating costs by lowering the thermostat setting on your water heater.  Each 10F reduction in water temperature saves between 3%-5% in energy costs.  Reducing water temperature to 120 f also slows mineral buildup and corrosion in water heaters and pipes.

     Replace Water Heater.  The average life span of a water heater is between 8 and 12 years.  Energy use can be cut considerably by replacing with a newer more efficient model.  Plus, you could also avoid the mess and inconvenience of an untimely breakdown.

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 11th, 2010 at 7:28 am under Industry News. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.