5 Water-Efficient Fixtures and Appliances for Your Home | Insight from Your Trusted Richmond, VA Plumbing Service

5 Water-Efficient Fixtures and Appliances for Your Home | Insight from Your Trusted Richmond, VA Plumbing Service

Photo By harmpeti at Shutterstock

Water is a valuable resource. We should do our part in conserving water not just for water and energy savings but to also help the environment. Below are some appliances and fixtures that can help a homeowner conserve more water at home. 

Get a plumbing service in Richmond, VA if you are thinking about switching to these water-efficient fixtures. 

Tankless Water Heaters

When it comes to energy usage, your water heater would be the second biggest contributor. This means that the more you use your water heater, the higher your bills. 

There is a way to cut energy usage by installing a tankless water heater for your home. As opposed to the conventional heaters, a tankless water heater only uses energy when it’s being used. Also called on-demand water heaters, you use a tankless heater only when you need hot water. You get to save about 20% more on energy. In addition, tankless water heaters are more compact. Apart from the energy savings, you do not need a bigger space to be able to install a water heater. It can even be mounted on the wall or placed inside a cabinet. 

For installation, get a plumbing service in Richmond, VA to ensure proper installation of your heater. When shopping for one, look for the Energy Star Label as these products are designed for less energy usage and are more environmentally-friendly. 

The Smart Toilet

Compared to the regular toilets, low-flush toilets use as little water as possible for flushing, just enough to flush down waste. Homeowners who want to get more savings should consider switching from standard to either low flush or high-efficiency toilets. Water accounts for about 30% of your consumption at home. So when you switch to high-efficiency toilets, you substantially reduce your water bills. 

High-efficiency toilets use water velocity instead of flushing waste by water volume. They use an average of 1.28 gallons per flush as opposed to regular toilets that use 1.6 to about 7 gallons per flush. Families who switch to this type of toilet can save up to $110 per year on their bills. For water efficiency, look for products labeled as WaterSense — these products meet the water-efficiency criteria. 

Talk to a plumber in Richmond, VA if you want more features from your toilets. There are high-efficient toilets that have Automatic Flushing which means less germs as you do not need to touch the handle. Some also have Overflow Protection which is convenient for homeowners. When this toilet is clogged, it stops you from flushing more water. A professional plumbing service ensures the proper installation of your toilet.

Low Flow Shower Heads

A low-flow shower head is a water-efficient fixture designed to reduce the amount of water being used in your homes. Regular shower heads deliver about 5 to 8 gallons of water per minute. If you are to take a 10-minute shower, you use up 50-80 gallons of water. To become more water-efficient, look for a shower head with a flow rate of less than 2.5 GPM. You also will need to get a plumbing service regarding your water pressure. It has to be 80 pounds per square inch. 

You can choose from either an Aerating or a Laminar-flow shower head for your home. An aerating shower head means that air is mixed with the water, so you will get a mist-like spray while showering. Laminar-flow, on the other hand, has individual streams of water. To really maximize savings, consider getting a flow restrictor that allows you to control the amount of flow that you need. 

Energy-saving shower heads are not just beneficial for your homes. They also protect drinking water resources. Although there is a lot of water on our planet, they are mostly found in the oceans and it costs a lot of money to be able to desalinate these waters. Using a lot of water may also strain sewage and septic systems that run the risk of contaminating groundwater. 

Hire a professional plumbing service if you plan to install a low-flow showerhead for your home. 

Low Flow Faucet

There are more ways to conserve water like not running the faucet while you are brushing your teeth. Another is to switch to low flow faucets for your kitchen or bathroom. Like the low-flow showerhead, this is also designed to reduce water usage. 

Look for the WaterSense label as they are about 20% more efficient than the non-WaterSense labeled faucets. As to the brand depends mostly on your budget or what features you look for in a faucet. Some features you may consider include having Motion Sensors that will automate the flow of water or Automatic Shut Off that automatically shuts off water after a certain amount of usage. 

Like in your showerhead, you can buy a separate WaterSense-labeled aerator for your faucet. It’s easy to install and also very effective for water conservation. Get a plumbing service if you do not know how to install one. 

High-Efficiency Top Loaders

A traditional top-loader washing machine uses an agitator for floating and rotating the clothes in water. A front-load uses a drum for moving the clothes while a high-efficiency top-loader uses a wash plate for tossing the clothes and it also doesn’t have an agitator. The latter tend to use less water and are more effective in cleaning compared to both traditional top-loaders and front-loader washing machines. 

Repair costs will be significantly higher for these types of washers and they also use a specific detergent. However, they are gentler on the fabric and can clean a lot better. Also, it spins faster which means you use less time for drying. It also has more room for your clothes and most top-loaders do not have issues with mold growth. Hire a plumbing service should you need help with installations.

Call bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of Richmond, VA

Do you need a plumbing service in your area? Our licensed plumbers at bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of Richmond, VA specialize in installations of your bathroom or kitchen fixtures and appliances, and a wide range of other plumbing services. Get in touch with us today if you need help with repairs, installations or maintenance. We offer professional plumbing services and our staff is always ready to help! 

Contact us today for an appointment.

 

Leak Detection Repair South Richmond, VA

Call Now for a
Emergency Plumber!

bfpad Proactive Protection ProgramTM

Many of our customers are so happy with our service that they become a bfpad Proactive Protection Program™! Contact us to learn more.

  • Plumbing Replacement New Kent, VA Priority Service
  • Plumbing Replacement New Kent, VA Free Annual Plumbing Evaluation
  • Plumbing Replacement New Kent, VA 15% OFF Service