Are your water and electricity bills too high? You don’t have to grin and bear the extra expense. One way to cut down on utilities is by upgrading your plumbing system. Below are just a few recommendations that you can consider.
Install a Pressure Reducing Valve
Many households use more water than they need because there’s simply too much water pressure in their pipes. In reality, your family probably won’t notice a change if you dropped your home’s water pressure from 70 to 35 psi (pressure per square inch).
Luckily, you can install a pressure-reducing valve to automatically control the amount of pressure that flows into your pipe system. However, you will need the help of a professional Edmonton plumbing contractor to measure your home’s psi and install the pressure valve.
Install High-Efficiency Toilets
Do you know how much water you use when you flush the toilet? If you’re still using older bowls, you’re sending at least 3.5 gallons of water down the drain with each flush. To reduce your usage, you can install high-efficiency toilets that use as little as 1.3 gallons per flush. With this simple swap, you can save thousands of gallons per year and slash your water bills considerably.
Use Low-Flow Showerheads
Believe it or not, showering uses up to 2.5 gallons of water per minute. No wonder showering accounts for up to 20% of a typical household’s water consumption. If you’re the type of person who likes taking long, luxurious showers, you might want to install a low-flow showerhead.
Such showerheads can reduce your water usage by about 70%. Another great benefit of low-flow showerheads is that the less water you use, the less stress and wear on your water heater. So, you save on water and electricity costs.
Electric Water Heater
Speaking of water heaters, this home appliance is also one of the biggest consumers of electricity in the home—especially older models. You can save on your heating bill by switching to electric heaters, which heat water on demand, instead of constantly heating water in a tank. Of course, be sure to choose the most energy-efficient models to maximize your savings.
While upgrading your home’s plumbing will entail a significant upfront cost, these changes can save you considerable money in the long run. If you need further advice on how to save water and money through your plumbing, be sure to talk to a trusted contractor in the area.
