Anyone interested in conservation or green living would easily agree on one fact: water is one of the top resources to be conserved. Besides conservation, using less water can also save you quite a bit of money. Here’s five ways to save water this year.

Stop Throwing it Away

The most important key to conserving water and saving money on your water bill is to stop it from going down the drain in the form of leaks and drips. A leaking faucet or toilet can waste hundreds of gallons of water per day.

• Check your water bill for unexplained spikes in water usage.
• While no water is being used in your house, note the reading on your water meter. Come back in a few hours and check to see if the meter says that water has been consumed. These signs could reveal that you have a leak somewhere.
• Fix all dripping faucets immediately.
• Test your toilet for leaks by putting some food coloring in the tank. Check back a bit later. If the coloring has made its way to the toilet bowl, your toilet is wasting your water.

Make Your Toilet More Efficient

Usually, the largest use of water in a home is the toilet. Taming this porcelain beast can go a long way towards saving both water and money.

• Reduce the amount of water your toilet uses by installing a toilet tank bag filled with water. These specially designed bags will hang inside your toilet tank and reduce the amount of water used in each flush.
• Replace that old water hog of a toilet with a newer model that uses less water.
• Install a dual flush toilet. These efficient toilets allow you to select a flush mode that involves more water (6 gallons) or a bit less water (4 gallons) to fit your needs in the restroom.

Have your Plumber Install Small on Demand Hot Water Units Where the Water is Used.

• Running gallons of water straight down the drain while waiting for hot water to travel from the water heater to your faucet wastes a lot of water.
• On-demand hot water situated near the locations where you use it provides hot water nearly instantly. Aside from saving water, instant hot water will make you feel pampered.
• Some states provide a tax break for homeowners who install an on-demand hot water system.

Shut Water Off More Often

Letting water run down the drain while you shave, lather up your hands or brush your teeth can needlessly drive up your water usage. Shut off the water momentarily when you are not using it at the sink.

• Make it more convenient to shut the water off intermittently by having your plumber install a hands free shut off.
• Hands free switches that operate by a pedal on the floor or a switch in the cabinet door are becoming readily available on the market.

Water your Lawn Efficiently

• Be sure to water your lawn early in the morning or late at night. This will ensure that less water is lost to evaporation.
• Install a below ground drip watering system to get water precisely where you need it.
• Choose plants that are best suited to your climate and do not require lots of extra water.
• Strategic use of mulch can keep moisture in the ground where you want it.

Bonus Tip: Have a Professional at Alvarez Plumbing do a Green Inspection of your Water System.

For a thorough assessment of your home’s water consumption, schedule a green inspection by an experienced green plumber at Alvarez Plumbing.

• All key parts of your water system and usage will be inspected.
• Your Alvarez Plumber will suggest various ways to save you money using water and energy conserving products.

When implementing these 5 ways to save water this year, keep in mind that all of these water saving upgrades will pay for themselves over time. This means that the upgrades will wind up costing you nothing while you cash in on the additional savings and become that much more green.

Alvarez Plumbing is a 24 hour plumbing company located in Salinas, CA. We provide residential and commercial plumbing services. If you’re in the Monterey Bay area and need immediate plumbing assistance, call: (831) 291-5358.

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