Energy & Water Conservation Blog » Water Saving Devices

Water Saving Aerators: A Mindless way to Save Money!

Conservation Mart — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 18:05:27 +0000

Water Saving Aerators

The bathroom faucet is the area in the bathroom where the least amount of water is used. However, standard faucet aerators can also be a significant source of water waste. The average bathroom faucet tap uses 2.2 gallons of water every minute. This is almost the equivalent of the modern shower head, which uses 2.5 gallons per minute. Installing water saving aerators is a simple, cost effective way to reduce water use and water bills.

Water saving aerators allow for water flow rate reduction from 2.2 to 1.5, or as little as 0.5 gallons of water per minute. The technology is such that air is mixed with the water to create a steady stream of water, and a barely noticeable change in water pressure. This is ideal for completing common bathroom faucet tasks that require minimal amount of water.

Water saving aerators are also a great way to save without breaking the bank. At less than two dollars each, they pay for themselves in water savings within the first month of use, and savings in both water and money continue to stack up long after. So what are you waiting for? Start the path to water savings with a simple faucet aerator purchase. Next week, we’ll talk about how to extend those water savings into the kitchen.

A Kitchen Faucet Aerator Provides a Simple Way to Reduce Utility Bills

Conservation Mart — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:07:11 +0000

What tasks do you complete at the kitchen faucet? When you do these tasks, do you ever think about how much water is being used?

Kitchen Faucet Aerator

The amount of water used at the typical kitchen faucet is the same as the amount coming from a typical shower head, which is a sure way to end up wasting water. Installing a water-efficient kitchen faucet aerator is a small, yet effective way to reduce utility bills.

The average kitchen faucet uses 3-7 gallons of water per minute. Running for 30 minutes per day, this can be 630-1470 gallons every week. A low flow kitchen faucet aerator uses as little as 1.5 gallons of water every minute; 315 gallons of water every week for completing the same tasks.

If you use more hot water than cold at the kitchen faucet, reducing the amount of water used there will also reduce the amount of energy used as well. The water heated at the faucet is done so by the energy consumed by the water heater. Using a water-friendly kitchen faucet aerator can help you reduce both water and energy bills at the same time.

How Shower GPM Impacts Your Home

Conservation Mart — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 21:05:30 +0000

Do you know how old your home and its plumbing fixtures are? The standard shower head in a home built before 1992 uses approximately five shower gallons per minute. For a family of four taking 10-minute showers each day, the amount of gallons of shower water being used in this home every year easily passes 70,000. While modern homes are not as wasteful, their shower heads cannot be described as water saving. Reducing shower gpm to an amount at, or under, 2 gallons per minute at home significantly reduces water use, energy use, and the utility bill.

Let’s see how much water is being used with different shower gpm fixtures:

Unless the water is completely cold, the amount of water used in a shower also affects the amount of residential energy used. Heating water is the 3^rd largest energy expense in a home. Reducing the shower gallons per minute reduces the amount of money spent on water heating. The amount saved depends on your current fixture, as well as the water heating system.

This chart will help you see possible savings once you’ve switched to a low flow model:

If you are still hesitant to install a lower shower gpm fixture in the bathroom , rest assured that the technology used in the shower heads is such that allows the fixture to require less water without sacrificing comfort. As we get closer to Earth Day 2011, take some time to consider how shower gallons per minute impact your home.

Reduce Water Use: Install a Flow Control Valve for Commercial Kitchens

Conservation Mart — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:28:50 +0000

The school cook, professional chef in a five star restaurant, and the large scale caterer understand the importance of water in a kitchen. Water use in a commercial setting accumulates much faster than residential kitchen water use. Water use also effects energy use, as energy is required for water heating. Installing a low flow commercial kitchen sprayer is a simple, cost effective way to decrease the amount of water used as well as the amount of energy necessary for water heating.

Flow Control Valve

Tasks such as washing the dishes and rinsing fruits and vegetables do not require as much water as is typically used. A flow control valve can be used to complete such tasks. The Food Service Technology Center (FSTC) suggests a commercial kitchen sprayer with a flow rate of 1.6 gallons per minute (GPM). This flow rate allows you to reduce the amount of water necessary to complete kitchen tasks.

Water savings, energy savings, and pocket savings result from replacing a high pressure spray valve with a low pressure water control valve. The amount of water saved every day in a kitchen that uses a spray valve for at least 3 hours a day is 180 gallons. This amounts to 1.5 therms/day of savings with gas water heaters. The reduction in water and energy use easily translates to as much as $1,050 of savings every year. Food service institutions can benefit greatly from replacing their current spray rinse valves with a more water-friendly commercial kitchen sprayer. The flow control valve pays for itself many times over with the water and energy savings you quickly accumulate.

Water Saving Kit: Instant Way to Save Water and Dollars

Conservation Mart — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 18:43:11 +0000

When we turn on the news often we are greeted with images of the immense damage that has been done to our planet. Among the many crises we now face, lack of water conservation is one that has been garnering more and more attention. Here in the United States the amount of water used in the bathroom is more than the amount of water a person in an underdeveloped country has at their disposal for an entire day. Installing the components of a water saving kit in your home will allow you to save water and money at the same time.

Water Saving Kit

A water saving kit includes items to help you start saving water in the kitchen and bathroom. The eco showerhead uses 1.75gpm (gallons per minute), is a great improvement to the standard 2.5gpm showerhead most homes have. The shower timer included can be secured to the bathroom wall, allowing you to watch, and limit, the amount of time spent in the shower. These changes in the shower alone can save a family of four as much as 11,000 gallons of water per year.

Ideal for saving water in homes with older toilets is the toilet tank bank. Fill this displacement bag with water, shut the valve to avoid eventual evaporation, and hang the bag inside the tank of the toilet with the hook that comes on the bag to reduce the water in your tank by approximately 0.8 gallons. The water saving kit also comes with a dual flush converter, which is compatible with most toilets that have at least a 1.6 gallon tank. The dual flush converter provides you with liquid/solid options, and flushes accordingly.

The average kitchen or bathroom faucet aerator uses 2.2 gallons of water per minute. This is almost the amount of water used by the average showerhead. By replacing the faucet aerator with the 1.0gpm aerators you can save approximately 54% more water. This 54% decrease in water usage at the faucet will of course save you money on the water bill. Water saving kits are a great investment, as the items will pay for themselves within a matter of months, but continue to save you water (and money) throughout the entire year.

Showerhead Reviews – Find the Best Showerhead

Conservation Mart — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:10:16 +0000

Often people go into a store or online and purchase a showerhead only to realize it is not exactly the best fit for them. Here we have compiled for you a list of customer reviews to assist you in your search for the best showerhead for your home. These customers have given detailed explanations as to how one of the following was the best showerhead for them, and hopefully this will help you decide which is the best showerhead for you.

Take Baby Steps with Energy & Water Conserservation Kits

Conservation Mart — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 02:59:51 +0000

The world we live in today is much different than the world our grandparents, and to some extent even our parents, lived in. According to the HCF (Hinkle Charitable Foundation), in 2007 51% of electricity produced in the United States came from coal, which creates large quantities of CO2 and other harmful pollutants. In addition to the energy crisis we face, lack of water conservation poses another danger to the earth. While the earth is 75% water, 97% of that is undrinkable and unusable and 2% is trapped in ice, leaving us with approximately 1% of the earth’s water for our use. How do we begin to fix this energy crisis and make the best of the water we have? Energy conservation kits and water conservation kits are a great place to start.

Energy Conservation Kits

Energy conservation kits are filled with inexpensive products, such as CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lights, foam gaskets, and an energy monitor to get you on the right track to reducing your utility bills and energy usage. For example, by switching 20 incandescent bulbs with energy efficient CFLs) you can help do away with over 12 tons of CO2. In addition, placing foam gaskets from the energy conservation kits in front of electrical outlets and wall switches you can stop unwanted air from coming and leaving the home, decreasing the heating and cooling bills. Using an energy monitor to keep track of the amount of energy you use is also a great way to decrease usage.

Water Conservation Kit

Are you aware that 95% of all water than enters the home ends ups down a drain? According to the FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN), about two thirds of the earth could be faced with water shortages within 20 years. By using faucet aerators, toilet water savers, and the showerhead found in water conservation kits you can make the best use of the water we have. For example, a 1.75gpm showerhead uses only 9 gallons per 5-minute shower as opposed to an 8gpm showerhead which uses almost 40 gallons of water for the same amount of time. The technology of aerators and low-flow showerhead is such that more water seems to be used than really is. While facing these water and energy challenges of our time can be frustrating, we can take small steps and start conserving our precious resources with water and energy conservation kits.

Dual Flush Kit & Other Cheap Alternatives to Low Flow Toilets

Conservation Mart — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 02:29:23 +0000

Low flow toilets averaging around 1.6 gallons per minute are a great idea. But the return on investment period is long considering you’ll have to shell out at least $300 between the cost of the toilet and replacement labor costs (plumbers are not cheap).

Another option is to do a retrofit on your toilet e.g. fill valve so less water gets released, and at less then $20 these deliver a very quick ROI. My favorite is the toilet tank bank – which is the poor man’s solution. At around $1.25 these are a no brainer. Simply fill them with water and stick them in your toilet tank. Instant low flow toilet!

One technology that shows a lot of promise is the dual flush kit. There are some models that cost under $30 (One2Flush’s dual flush kit) and allow you to convert an existing toilet into a dual flush toilet. So press the handle one way and 0.8 gallons of water get release and press it another way – 1.6 gallons get released. The best part is that a dual flush kit is designed for DIYers, so no need to get a plumber.

Dual Flush Kit

Most of the time you’ll only be needing 0.8 gallons per flush so why not stop that extra 0.8 gallons from going down the toilet!

Dual Flush Toilet Converter: Save Water & Money

Conservation Mart — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:17:05 +0000

Dual Flush Converter

Reducing water consumption in the home is an important part of being green. Every day an average of 55 billion gallons of water are flushed through toilet systems. That’s 40% of water used in a household when 8 out of 10 trips to the bathroom do not even require a full flush. Imagine how much water you could save with a dual flush toilet converter (full/half flush system). Having a water saving device not only helps you save our green earth, but also allows you to save some of the green in your wallet.

The Perfect Flush is a water saving device that definitely lives up to its name. This dual flush toilet converter can reduce up to 50% the amount of toilet water used, allowing for up to $100 of water savings per year. While a dual flush toilet saves the same amount, it costs about $500-700. The Perfect flush water saving device will cost you $100. It takes only 30 minutes to install, and fits most pilot-style, tank toilet fixtures, and ball-cock-fill-valve systems. The full/half option allows water conservation for 20,000 flushes with each 4-AAA battery set. A dual flush toilet converter is simply a perfect fit for all those interested in saving water, and why just save water, when you can save money as well?

Choosing the Best Low Flow Showerhead for Your Needs

Conservation Mart — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 02:40:00 +0000

Putting in a low-flow showerhead doesn’t mean you have to put up with a thin water stream, low pressure or reduced water temperature due to excessive aeration. Today’s low-flow showerheads are engineered to provide you a satisfying shower experience while still:

Saving thousands of gallons of water per year (along with savings on your water bill).
Conserving the energy used to heat the water – which means more savings for you and for the environment.
Allowing you to live responsibly without sacrificing your lifestyle.

Low-flow showerheads are easy to install and very cost-effective, starting at around $10. When choosing the best low-flow showerhead for your needs, you’ll want to consider price, appearance and comfort features. Here are some things to consider:

Aerating vs. Non Aerating Shower head. Non-aerating means air is not mixed into the water stream, as it passes through the showerhead; as a result, less temperature is lost between the showerhead and you. The 1.75 gpm Niagara Low Flow Showerhead (N2917CH) does not aerate the water, so you won’t have to crank up the hot water for a comfortable shower temperature. Moreover, it installs without tools and is adjustable to deliver soft relaxing sprays to deep, therapeutic 9-jet massages. Aerating showerheads by contrast mix air into the water stream. So you can get a fuller shower with a steady pressure however it won’t be as warm since some of the heat is lost in the process of aerating the water.
Appearance. Showerheads have a come a long way.. you don’t have to stick to the standard white or chrome finish. The Multi-Function Danze Low Flow Showerhead (D462014) is available in three decorator finishes such as brushed nickel, chrome and oil rubbed bronze to complement your bathroom décor. At 1.5 gpm it is a very water efficient showerhead.
Technology. Showerheads have evolved to pack in state of the art technology for conserving water. For instance, the 1.59 gpm Evolve RoadRunner Low Flow Showerhead combines a low-flow head with Evolve’s patented ShowerStart™ “trickle-trigger” technology for the ultimate in shower conservation. This unique showerhead senses when the cold water running through it changes to hot, and reduces flow to a trickle. It saves the hot water you would have left running while waiting for the water to warm up until you’re actually ready to use it. The Roadrunner also features Pressure Compensating Technology for use in low water pressure homes, and a 36-nozzle non-aerating spray for full-coverage comfort and warmth.

Installing a low-flow showerhead is one of the simplest and most effective things you can do to help the environment and start saving money immediately. Deciding on the best low flow showerhead will depend upon your budget, aesthetics and any advanced technology options you require. The good news is, there are plenty of options.