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Why Saving Water For Summer Is Key

Every home loses water at one point or another, but you may have waste water concerns, especially if you’re already using a lot of water before the summertime comes.

Summertime is well known as a time of year when many are filling their pools, using the sprinklers, drinking a lot of water, and taking more showers than before. Since water usage tends to go up in the summer, you may want to start looking at your bill now because there are ways that you can conserve water and stop wasting it.

conserve-waterIn certain homes, those that live there may not feel that they are letting water go to waste, but there are a lot of ways to save water, and many don’t realize the amount of water they are letting go down the drain. Once you can identify the ways your home is wasting water; you can cut back on the water usage and start inputting water conservation methods.

How You May Be Throwing Water Down The Drain

Water can go down the drain, which also allows your money to go down the drain as well. Even if you’re only paying a few pennies per gallon, it’s best not to take water usage for granted, especially since many people around the world don’t have clean water to use whenever they need it.

Those who want safe drinking water may pay as much as $1-$2 per gallon so that they can have fresh drinking water that they can use all the time. If most people had to pay those kinds of prices per gallon for water, then it’s very likely that many would stop wasting water and start conserving it. Here are some typical ways that you may be allowing water to be consumed in your home:

  • Overfilling a washer to wash clothes
  • Running a second rinse cycle for the washer
  • Letting tap the run until it gets to the desired temperature
  • Throwing away water that’s drained from the water heater
  • Taking baths with a filled tub
  • Taking long showers
  • Washing your car at home

Overfilling Washer

The washer only needs so much water to wash clothes, so don’t feel the need to add extra water to fill it to the top when your clothes can be washed with water that comes up to the level of the load inside the washer.

Running Two-Rinse Cycles

Although you sometimes may need to clean your clothes twice, you don’t always need to run a second rinse cycle in your washer, especially since this can easily waste many gallons of water each time you do a second rinse. If you do a second rinse every single time you wash clothes, you could easily be wasting hundreds of gallons of water per month.

Running Tap Water

If you need hot or cold water to come from the tap, then running it and letting the water go down the drain until you get the water to the desired temperature is wasteful, and you can easily waste several gallons each time you do this ritual. Collect the water in a container as you turn the tap on, then you can collect the desired temperature water you need in another container.

world-water-conservationDraining The Water Heater

A water heater needs maintenance every year, so you may call your plumber out to do maintenance, which may require draining the water heater if it’s not a tankless water heater. There can easily be 50 gallons of water in the water heater, and even though the water is heated, throwing it away is incredibly wasteful. Collect the water that’s drained from the heater in several buckets, and use the water on the plants, to wash your car or for other purposes around the home.

Taking Baths

Those who take regular baths shouldn’t fill the tub all the way to its capacity, especially since this can take up to 50 gallons of water. Opt for a shower instead, or if you take a bath, reuse the water by letting others use the water after you do.

Long Showers

rain-barrel-collection-systemYour showers can be as short as five minutes, which can save you 1000 gallons of water per month, so consider shortening your showers if you shower more than five minutes each time.

Washing The Car

It’s better to go to a car wash that uses recycled water as opposed to washing your car at home. You may use several gallons of water washing your car, even if you use the sprayer on the hose as opposed to letting the water run, so go to the car wash instead.

Water Conservation Techniques

If you’ve discovered the different ways that you’re wasting water, then think about how you can conserve water, such as:

  • Take quick showers that don’t pass five minutes
  • Don’t flush the toilet unnecessarily
  • Sweep your driveway instead of spraying it with a garden hose
  • Install WaterSense labeled toilets and shower heads
  • Add a rain sensor to an irrigation system to keep it off when it rains
  • Cover your pool to keep it clean and to avoid the need to refill it
  • Use washing appliances only when they are filled
  • Soak pans and pots, don’t run hot water over them

Leaks Matter Too

If you already started implementing some water conservation methods within your home, that’s great, but don’t forget about the holes as well. Leaky faucets should be repaired, leaky toilets may need to be fixed or replaced, and any leaky plumbing should be taken care of.

If you know there are many leaks in your home, then get your plumber to work on all the leaks to allow your home to save water, especially since you want to be able to use your water as needed during the summertime.

Repair leaks and fix plumbing in your home by calling Powell’s Plumbing in Winchester, VA at 540-665-8196.

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