Savvy Shopper: Saving water isn't just for the outdoors
Even though we live in an arid region, abundant water is often treated like a God-given right. From yards with thirsty turfs to sprinkler systems that water pavement as much as the lawn, our behavior often gives little indication that Lubbock has to pipe in the vast majority of its water.
In addition to taxing our checkbooks, the mismatch between our water supply and consumption challenges Lubbock’s long-term viability. Although we can’t do anything about the rain, there are actions that can help keep our water use and bills under control. With many lawns still dormant at this time of year, this article will focus on decreasing water usage inside the home.
• Sink: Depending on how you use your faucet, water saving faucet aerators can reduce your usage by as much as 84%. Although this can provide a benefit in any situation, this will really help a lot if you are prone to leaving water on. As flow rates can range from .35 to 2.2 gallons per minute, make sure that the aerator you select provides adequate volume for your tasks. For additional information, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faucet_aerator.
• Shower warm up: Do you ever leave the shower unattended while waiting for it to warm up? If so, what are the odds that you enter the shower at the exact time that the water becomes warm? In other words, it is a virtual certainty that warm water that could be used in the shower is actually going down the drain. To eliminate this loss, Evolve Showerheads has a product that shuts the water off when your shower reaches operating temperature. This item is called a "Ladybug" and is estimated to save $75/year. Although this number might be a little optimistic, the results would be good if they were half as much. For more information, go to https://www.thinkevolve.com/pages/showerstart-tsv3.
• Shower: While a low-flow shower head goes without saying, I have found “trickle” valves to be very useful. When you are soaping up, you can shut off or slow down the water flow. Be sure to get a trickle style shut off so the water will stay warm when the valve is closed. This product is available at any hardware store. Depending on your habits, this feature can save at least as much water as a low flow head.
• Toilet: Outside of leakage, water use at a toilet comes from flushing and filling. Although it may seem that the two are the same thing, they aren’t. When a toilet fills, some water enters the tank (for flushing) with additional liquid being sent through a fill tube to other areas of the bowl. For flushing, there are a variety of toilet flaps designed to allow precise adjustment for the amount of water used. For this type of product, look up online reviews as quality varies. For filling, there are toilet valves that allow you to regulate the amount of water going through the fill tube. Since a substantial amount of water can be wasted by filling, I completely recommend getting this type of valve the next time you have to replace it. Although this is a relatively new feature, they are now commonly available at home improvement stores.
• Water loss: Although it is infrequent, a broken hose to your washing machine wastes a lot of water and exposes your house to damage. In fact, a typical broken hose will spill 500 gallons in one hour. To solve this, companies offer shutoff valves that trip when a burst hose is detected by a sensor. In my opinion, this solution seems overly complicated and expensive. As a cheaper and simpler alternative, I recommend a timer shutoff valve. When operating the washing machine, set the timer on the valve and your washing machine gets water. After the timer shuts itself off, no water flows and there is no risk of a burst line flooding your home. These valves are available at home improvement stores. For an example, go to www.aaronco.com/2552702/p/n/keeney-2354.
Although there are multitudes of ways to save water, I thought I would highlight quick, easy, and proven ways to do it in the home. In addition, I wanted to avoid obvious advice like fixing leaks and taking faster showers. On top of saving money, you will also help secure Lubbock’s long-term viability.
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SEAN FIELDS is the A-J’s Savvy Shopper. Read his columns Sundays and Wednesdays. Email him at SavvyShopperLubbock@gmail.com, like his Facebook page at Facebook.com/LubbockSavvyShopper, or see previous columns and deals at lubbockonline.com/savvy-shopper.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Savvy Shopper: Saving water isn't just for the outdoors
