Most Common Sources of Home Water Waste in Sacramento
Now that weโre all stuck at home and using more of everything โ good thing you got the 27-pack of toilet paper โ letโs talk about water waste. After all, nobodyโs ever complained to Ace Plumbing that theyโre not spending enough on water. Times are tight, and every bit of savings we can manage helps. So with that in mind, letโs run down the most common ways youโre wasting water, and what you can do about each one.
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Leaks
Leaks waste a ridiculous amount of water every year. Nationwide, they account for about aย trillion gallons of water wasted. That probably sounds like someone made a mathematical mistake, but if you take a closer look at the numbers, it makes sense. A single faucet that drips once per second wastes 3,000 gallons per year. Even a slower leak โ a drop every six seconds โ still wastes 500 gallons per year. The EPA estimates that ten percent of homes waste 90 gallons of water or more daily. Soย fix those leaks!
Toilets
Toilets can be an even bigger culprit when it comes to wasting water. For one thing, when they leak, itโs often at a higher volume. For another, each flush uses more water quicker than youโd think.ย Replacing your old toiletย with one thatโs more efficient and better-sealed can save up to thirteen thousand gallons of water per year.
Washing Dishes
Letโs say you live alone. Letโs look at your use of dishes throughout the day:
- Breakfast uses a coffee cup, a plate for the last few cookies, a bowl for your cereal, and a spoon
- Mid-morning snack means a spoon for your yogurt
- Lunch: A plate and knife for your sandwich, and a glass for your drink
- Another cup for coffee to perk up around mid-afternoon
- A glass for your bourbon for a virtual happy hour over Zoom
- Another glass, plus a fork and plate for the leftovers you heated for dinner
Thatโs not that many dishes, and if youโre in the habit of keeping a clean kitchen, you might even keep up with the washing as you go. Hereโs the thing, though: if you put all of it in the dishwasher and run it at the end of the day, youโre still using less water than you would have washing just your breakfast dishes by hand. Add roommates, a significant other, or kids to the mix and the savings add up even faster.
Bathing
Weโve all been there: you climb into a hot shower at the end of a long day andโฆ wait, where were we again? Oh, right. You zone out and lose all track of time and space. Or you have those deep shower thoughts you donโt have anywhere else. Much as we hate to say it, taking shorter showers will save a lot of water. So, too, will installing a low-flow showerhead, which weโll be happy to help with.
Washing Clothes
A standard wash cycle uses about 30 gallons of water. High-efficiency machines help to use less water, but if you canโt swing the price of a new washer and dryer right now, make sure youโre paying attention to your load level relative to the size of the load (itโs easy to forget and wash a couple of pairs of pants with a lot more water than they need). Unless something needs to be disinfected or specifically calls for hot water, do more of your washing in cold water. You wonโt necessarily use less water that way, but youโll save hot water, which in turn saves energy.
Plumbing Service in Sacramentoย
So there you have it: simple steps anyone can take to save water. For help with new plumbing fixtures, leak fixes, and nearly any other plumbing need under the sun, get in touch with Ace Plumbing today!