Water efficient solutions

Water Efficient Solutions for Faucets and ShowerheadsBy Jennifer MackInday
Jennifer MackIndayLevel: Basic PLUS
Jennifer Mackinday is a small business owner and freelance writer living in Indiana. She enjoys using her home improvement experience to educate homeowners. ...Article Word Count: 669 [View Summary] Comments (0)
Did you know that Americans use about 40 billion gallons of fresh water EVERY day!
In 1992 Congress legislated that all new faucets and shower heads use 2.5 gallons per minute or less, which has helped water conservation efforts. So it may surprise you to hear that the average shower uses 30 gallons of water or more!
Don't worry...there's something you can do that's cost effective and fast to save water and lower utility bills in your home. Evolving technologies have made more efficient plumbing fixtures available to homeowners at affordable prices.
An inexpensive way to conserve water usage is to install low flow faucet aerators on all your faucets. These cost as little $5 but yield significant water savings over time. The aerators work by mixing air with water to reduce the amount of water that comes out of the faucet without lowering the pressure. Newer water efficient faucets are produced with these aerators already installed. Each faucet will save 1 gallon of water per minute with an aerator installed.
In just 15 minutes and for as little as $30 you can install a water efficient showerhead. You'll need the following items for this project:
-adjustable wrench or channel pliers
-towel/rag
-white vinegar
-new showerhead
-plumbers tape
Here are the step by step instructions for replacing your showerhead:
It's not necessary to shutoff the water to your shower. If you feel more comfortable with the water off, locate your shutoff valve. In some instances it is necessary to turn off the water in your bathroom by turning off your main water shutoff valve. It's a good idea to know the location of this valve incase of an emergency. Use an adjustable wrench or pliers to remove the showerhead and allow all the excess water to drain.Clean the pipe's threads thoroughly with vinegar and allow the pipe to dry completely. Wrap the pipe's threads once with plumbers tape. This will ensure a good fit with the showerhead.Attach the new showerhead to the pipe fitting and rotate until secure. Be careful not to over tighten. I recommend using your hands for this step as a wrench or pliers can damage the showerhead and may cause you to over tighten.Turn on the water and watch for leaks. If the showerhead leaks, tighten ¼ turn and retest. Remember not to over tighten.
I highly recommend using Teflon brand plumbers tape. Here are some tips for using plumbers tape:
Wrap the male threads at end of the pipe but do not lap over the end. Doing so may result in reduced water pressure or even clogs from bits of the tape that get into the water supply.Start with a couple loops around at the end, then wrap all the threads, overlapping half the width of the tape on each wind.Wrap in the direction of the threads starting from the end and proceeding toward the length of the pipe. Wrapping the wrong way may result in the tape coming unwound as the fittings are tightened. So if you will rotate the showerhead clockwise to attach, you'll wrap the tape clockwise as wellAs you wrap, keep tension on the tape so that it is pulled into the threads.When you remove the showerhead or any fitting, always remove the old tape and rewrap with a fresh piece.
There are many water-conserving showerheads on the market. In the $20-$30 price range consider Speakman Company showerheads which have an auto flow water conserving device to automatically control water flow and a ball joint connection for smooth positioning. If money is no object consider Waterdecor products
Low flow water fixtures are readily found at building supply stores and online, and they don't require any special connections or fittings to install.
Now get ready to save water, energy and money! A family of three can conserve over 10,000 gallons of water every year with the installation of water-conserving shower heads. Do your part to protect our nation's fresh water supply and save money on your utility bills, too. No that's a home improvement we can all benefit from!

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