The average Minnesota resident uses about 52 gallons of water every day. In other words, you’re probably using more water than you think. Some of this usage comes from your own habits, such as watering your lawn every week or taking long showers, but some of it comes from things like leaky pipes and outdated plumbing fixtures. While we at Affinity Plumbing and Water Conditioning are happy to help with any of your water-wasting plumbing issues, there are things you can do to help your household conserve water. Here are some to keep in mind.
1. Be Careful How You Shower
One of the benefits of taking a shower versus taking a bath every day is that showers are quicker and use less water. Most full bathtubs use about 70 gallons of water, while a shower uses between 10 and 25 gallons. That is, a shower uses that much water if you keep it between three and five minutes. If you find that your showers last 10 minutes or longer, you’re probably using way too much water.
Limiting showers to five minutes each should be your goal if you’re trying to conserve water. If you want to conserve even more, turn off the shower when you shampoo your hair or lather soap on your body. Turn the water back on only to rinse yourself off.
If you have an older showerhead that was installed before the 1980s, install a newer low-volume one. Modern showerheads use as little as 2.5 gallons of water per minute, while older showerheads can use as much as 8 gallons per minute.
2. Upgrade Your Toilet
Toilets account for almost 24% of a home’s water usage. Older toilets use more water, so consider upgrading your toilet to a modern low-flow model. Also, be on the lookout for problems that could be wasting even more water, like a toilet that leaks or runs continuously. Turn to us for a toilet upgrade!
3. Wash Your Clothes Carefully
Your washing machine also uses a lot of water, so be careful how often you do your laundry. Wash full loads only, and use cold water as often as possible. Use less detergent if you have a high-efficiency washing machine. It won’t have as much of an effect on the amount of water you’ll use, but it will help save you money.
4. Look for Leaks
Leaky pipes and plumbing fixtures can waste a lot of water and cause a lot of water damage to your home. If you notice things such as musty odors, low water pressure in your faucets, or inexplicably damp spots, you might have a plumbing leak somewhere in your home. If you want to confirm that you do, you can always shut off all of your water-using appliances and check your home’s water meter. Make a note of the number on the meter and check it again in an hour. If the number changes, you have a leak somewhere in your home and need to call for professional help to locate and fix it right away.
5. Water Your Lawn Only When Necessary
Some people think they need to water their lawns daily to keep them healthy during the summer, but this is unnecessary. In fact, many lawns in the United States are overwatered, which means homeowners are wasting billions of gallons of water every year on lawns that don’t need it.
If you want to maintain a healthy lawn without wasting water, water your lawn only when it absolutely needs it. To verify that your grass needs to be watered, step on it. If it springs back, it’s healthy and doesn’t need any water. If the grass stays flattened, it needs water.
When you water your lawn, do so in the early morning while it’s still cool. Water your lawn once a week at the most, and only when it hasn’t rained in the last week. If you have an automatic sprinkler system, use it only during dry spells.
Contact Affinity Plumbing and Water Conditioning for Plumbing Assistance
We have served homes and businesses in Shakopee, MN and the surrounding areas since 2013, and we work hard to provide our customers with fast response times and affordable pricing. In addition to leak detection and repair, we provide fixture installation, plumbing repairs, water conditioning, garbage disposal repair, and many other services.
To learn more or schedule an appointment, contact Affinity Plumbing and Water Conditioning in Shakopee today!
