Investing in the right fixtures and appliances can allow you to save money and water with time. Furthermore, fixing the plumbing issues before they turn into plumbing emergencies can save your home a lot of water while helping you avoid costly plumbing replacements and repairs. So, how can you save water at your Oak Ridge, TN home to ensure your monthly water bill remains minimal?
This post will discuss several ways to conserve water usage and save on your monthly water utility bills. You’ll find that a plumber is a critical part of that endeavor. Therefore, enlisting the services of a plumbing expert is critical in your water conservation.
Repairing the Leaks
Minor faucet leaks and toilet leaks might waste thousands of gallons of this precious but scarce resource. High water utility bills are the next thing you’ll wake up to at the end of the month because you didn’t address the issue on time. Reach out to a professional and licensed plumber immediately if you notice any plumbing issues, especially leaks. The professionals will use their experience, skills, and modern tools and methods to patch the leak, ensuring your home’s water pressure returns to normal and there isn’t any water wastage.
Additionally, you should create plumbing maintenance with your nearby plumbing company to prevent problems with your home’s plumbing system. In their maintenance visit, the professionals will detect any imminent plumbing issue and rectify it before it becomes a full-blown leakage or even clogs. In addition to wasting many gallons of water, leakages will cost you a lot in replacements, restorations, and repairs. Therefore, fix any leakages as soon as you possibly can and have a solid maintenance plan to help prevent plumbing leaks on time.
In winter, ensure that your unprotected pipes are insulated. This ensures that the water within the pipes doesn’t freeze. Enlist a plumber’s help to prepare your water lines and drainage systems for the winter season. Freezing water exerts pressure on the interiors of the pipes, making them burst, which will cost you a fortune in repairs. Contact a professional if you need your pipes winterized before the cold season.
Installing a Tankless Water Heater
Traditional water heaters feature a water heater tank that requires constant heating for you to have a supply of hot water at your home. This, of course, uses up a lot of energy, resulting in high energy bills at the end of the month. On the contrary, tankless water heaters heat water on demand, meaning that energy is only consumed whenever you need a supply of hot water. Thus, tankless water heaters use considerably less energy than conventional water heaters, meaning they have cheaper operational costs.
Tankless water heaters also have high durability. They can last two times longer than traditional water heaters if you maintain them properly. Further, tankless water heaters require minimal maintenance than conventional water heating units. For instance, you will regularly flush out the sediment accumulation in your tank-type water heater, wasting more water. These traditional water heating unit’s tanks also are prone to water wastage through leakages.
Unless the conventional water heater is flushed, its efficiency might be reduced. No flushing is required with a tankless water heater because water doesn’t settle anywhere in the heating process. Hence, issues like leakages and water wastage are minimized in these units. Do you need a new tankless water heater installation or to replace your old conventional unit with a more modern unit? Contact a professional. Do not try installing or replacing the water heater yourself as you risk electrocution, damaging the unit, or voiding your warranty.
Buying Energy-efficient Plumbing Appliances
If you plan to purchase a dishwasher or a washing machine, choose the energy-efficient models because they consume less water and energy than standard models. Compared to non-energy-efficient washers, the energy-efficient washers consume 50% less water on each load. As a result, you will save both water and money in the long run.
To avoid running another cycle or load, ensure you use the appropriate detergent for that energy-efficient washing machine or dishwasher. Also, make sure you only choose a licensed plumber in Oak Ridge, TN, to assist you with installing the laundry machine, dishwasher, or garbage disposal unit. Poor installation might lead to leaks and other problems, which might cost you a considerable amount of money in the long run.
The cost of investing in an energy-efficient machine is the sole downside. They may be more expensive upfront, but they will be more cost-effective throughout the medium to long term due to the energy and water savings.
Installing Low-flow Showerheads and Dual-Flush Toilets
You should also consider contacting your plumber to install water-efficient plumbing fixtures like dual-flush toilets and low-flow showerheads to increase your water conservation. Dual flush toilets have two streams, one for flushing solid wastes and another for liquid wastes. Since the two kinds of wastes need different forces to flush down the drains, dual flush technology saves you a lot of water. You might also need to fit aerators to your faucets. Aerators typically reduce water flow whenever you turn on the faucet, meaning that the water that used to go to waste previously is minimized because it flows down at a regulated rate.
Investing in these water-conserving plumbing fixtures also brings up other features to the benefit of your home. However, ensure you consult a plumber before you head out into a plumbing store to purchase either an aerator, low-flow showerheads, or dual-flush toilets. Since they have seen it all, they have enough experience that helps you in making an informed decision regarding the right fixture for your home.
Ensure you only seek help from licensed and experienced plumbers for the installation. Installing these fixtures might seem but for reasons like damaging them or your plumbing system, enlist a professional plumber. Low-flow showerheads and dual-flush toilets will save you larger water volumes than conventional showerheads or toilets. Using this option, you get to save some money down the line.
Reliable Plumbers in Oak Ridge, TN
Water is an invaluable resource that should be used properly. Some people go ahead to claim that “water is life,” and if that’s the case, it is upon us to use all the means possible to conserve it. The measures above can help you save some water utility bills through prudent water use. Contact My Professional Plumber today to learn more on how you could save water and utility bills in the process.