When it comes to saving money, few things are as effective as reducing your water consumption. In fact, cutting back on water usage is one of the easiest ways to reduce your bills and save money. The average American household spends about $1,000 each year on water. That means cutting back by just 10% can save you around $100 each year. Luckily, there are lots of ways to reduce your water usage. Here are some tips for reducing water consumption while keeping your home’s plumbing system in tip-top shape!

Install Low-flow Toilets and Showerheads

One of the easiest ways to reduce water usage at home is to install low-flow toilets and shower heads. Low-flow toilets use only a third of the water of standard toilets and can save up to 750 gallons every year. Shower heads can use up to 80% less water than a standard shower, reducing water usage by about 350 gallons each year. If you’re in the process of building a new home or renovating an older building, now is a good time to install low-flow fixtures. You may be able to get a rebate from your local water utility that can help reduce the cost of these fixtures. You can also purchase low-flow fixtures at hardware and home improvement stores.

Check Your Showerhead and Shower Timer

Shower heads come in different styles and flow rates. It’s important to know the best flow rate for your home and family to save water and money. The EPA recommends a shower flow rate of two gallons per minute. If you’re not sure what you have, or if you want to make sure you’re not using too much, check your shower flow rate. You can use a water test kit, or you can simply turn on the faucet and see how fast the water comes out. If it’s too slow, you may want to consider upgrading to a higher-flow shower head.

Change Your Old Appliances

If you’ve been renting or buying used appliances, you may have old water hoses and other appliances that are no longer certified safe for use. These old hoses may be leaking water and may even be damaging your walls and floors. You can fix these leaks by replacing the hoses with new ones. If you need to replace appliances, consider buying water-efficient models. Appliances account for about 10% of your home’s water usage, so even small changes can have an impact.

Install a New Sump Pump

If you’ve ever heard a loud thumping noise coming from your basement and wondered what it was, you may have heard the sound of a sump pump. Sump pumps are used in basements and crawl spaces to remove excess water from the ground and prevent it from entering the home. Unfortunately, these pumps can be loud and expensive to operate. Fortunately, there are several ways to reduce the amount of time your sump pump runs. The first is to install a float switch that shuts the pump off when the water level rises above the point where it needs to be pumped out. The second is to install a submersible sump pump. These pumps are less susceptible to power outages, but they can be more expensive than standard sump pumps.

Conclusion

These are just a few of many ways to reduce water consumption at home. You can also make other small changes that add up, such as turning off the water while you brush your teeth or shower, or using a low-flow toilet. The key is to make small changes that don’t require a lot of effort, but have a big impact. If you’re in the process of building a new home or renovating an older building, now is a good time to install low-flow fixtures. You may be able to get a rebate from your local water utility that can help reduce the cost of these fixtures. You can also purchase low-flow fixtures at hardware and home improvement stores.