Colorado Springs Plumbing Upgrades Recommended by a Professional Plumber
Low-Flow Shower Heads
A large percentage of a household’s daily water usage goes towards showering.
Particularly for large families, showers are often the primary cause of a high water bill. While standard shower heads can pump up to 3 gallons of water per minute, low-flow alternatives like these issue up to a gallon less than their standard counterparts.
Low-Flow Toilets
The average toilet uses up to 2 gallons of water per flush, which means families of three or more regularly use an average of 15 gallons per day on flushing alone.
Thankfully, low-flow toilets marked with the “WaterSense” label only use up to 1.3 gallons of water per flush. Unlike the low-flow toilets of the 90’s, however, these models also meet the criteria for “powerful” flushing ability, meaning you won’t have to choose between saving water and having a fully-functional toilet.
High-Efficiency Faucets
Water faucets are another plumbing fixture responsible for heavy water consumption. In fact, faucets make up 15%-18% of a home’s overall water usage.
Standard kitchen sinks are said to use up to 2.2 gallons per minute, while bathrooms use slightly less (about 1-1.5 GPM). To save money on water, try swapping out your existing sink faucets for WaterSense alternatives, which use a maximum of 1.5 gallons per minute.
Water Heaters
Water heaters are responsible for heating and distributing water to each of your sinks and showers, and are the largest plumbing component in most homes.
According to Energy Star, water heaters are responsible for almost 15% of a home’s overall energy use. By switching to a high-efficiency alternative, you can save anywhere from 10%-50% of the energy used by your water heater.
Appliances
Washing machines and dishwashers are both culprits of water waste.
Old dishwashers can use up to 10 gallons per wash cycle, while washing machines have been known to use anywhere from 20-40 gallons per load! Rather than investing in a new, standard appliance that will cost you more in utilities over the long term, invest a little extra up-front to buy an energy efficient appliance instead. The savings passed to you on utilities will be more than enough to justify the extra up-front expense.
The bottom-line is, upgrading the appliances and plumbing fixtures in your home can save your family hundreds of dollars on utilities each year. While the initial investment many put some people off from making the upgrade, many Colorado Springs plumbing companies will tell you that it's worth it in the long run.