During the summer, it’s crucial to save as much water as possible. A major issue in states where droughts are a real possibility, localities everywhere are always urging residents to conserve water as many ways as possible. If you find yourself wanting to learn more about how you can save water during the summer, then take a look at some of the most common ways this can be achieved.
Lawn Maintenance
If there is one thing people spend plenty of time on during the summer, it’s maintaining their lawn. However, this does not mean water has to be wasted during the process.
For example, if you want to lessen the chance of having lots of water evaporate while watering the lawn, it’s best to make sure the lawn is watered only during morning or early evening hours. In addition to this, it’s also important to ensure your sprinkler system is working properly and is positioned correctly to maximize its effectiveness.
Therefore, make sure the sprinkler is watering only the grass, rather than your driveway or house. In doing so, you’ll not only save money, but also lessen the chance of damage occurring to your pavement or foundation. As an added measure, make sure the guttering around the home is in great shape. If any of it is loose or appears to be damaged in any way, make sure it gets fixed as soon as possible.
Washing the Car
Along with watering the lawn, washing the car is another way that people wind up wasting plenty of water during the summer. According to plumbers, washing a car uses on average just over 100 gallons of water, making it one of the biggest problems when it comes to water conservation.
To make sure your water waste issue does not get out of control, consider using a commercial car wash. Unlike when you pull out the garden hose to use on your car, using a commercial car wash can use only about 40 gallons of water, making it a far more efficient method of water conservation.
Doing Dishes the Old-Fashioned Way
While in today’s world it seems as if the only way to do the dishes is by using a dishwasher, it’s actually one of the best methods to avoid water waste.
While it may be more convenient during a busy day, the water that is used cannot begin to compare when dishes are done by hand.
According to plumbers, people who choose to hand-wash their dishes use an average of 27 gallons of water each time, compared to less than three gallons from one of today’s energy-efficient dishwashers.
However, to take full advantage of the savings a dishwasher can bring to a household, be sure you try to do a full load of dishes as often as possible. If you don’t, the savings you’ll have from using the dishwasher will go down the drain. Therefore, always be sure to load the dishwasher as full as possible, rather than grab the dish rag and towel.
Take Shorter Showers
While it may be very relaxing to take a long, hot shower at the end of a tough day at work, the fact is it can also be one of the worst ways to waste water in a household.
According to plumbers, showers that last up to 10 minutes can use an extra 2,000 gallons of water per year. However, by trimming just two minutes off your shower each day, you’ll be able to save as much as 1,750 gallons of water per year. And for those who love taking a hot bath, the bad news is that even more water is wasted. The average bath uses about 50 gallons of water, and in many cases even more due to the tub being filled up once, twice or even more times during the bath.
Therefore, it’s best to avoid baths if you’re trying to conserve water, and instead opt for short showers that use as little water as possible. Installing low-flow shower heads can also help with this, since they can cut water usage by as much as 40 percent.
Fix Those Leaks
If there is one thing that can waste lots of water around the house during the summer, it’s leaking toilets and faucets. In fact, plumbers agree that a faucet that has a slow drip can in fact waste as much as 10,000 gallons of water over a period of one year, making it the worst way water is wasted.
Leaks can become more prevalent in faucets during the summer months, since more and more people are wanting a cold drink of water after playing or working outside in the hot sun. Whether the leak is in a kitchen or bathroom faucet, it should be inspected and repaired by a plumber as soon as possible.
Along with sinks, toilets can also be a huge source of leaks in a household. These leaks are often much harder to detect than those found in sinks, but can waste just as much if not more water over the course of a year. If a toilet sounds as if it is hissing after being flushed, chances are it has a leak and should be looked at by a plumber.
According to experts, a toilet leak that is left unchecked can waste as much as 1,000 gallons of water per year, leading to much higher water bills month after month.
By taking note of these and other potentially serious plumbing problems, it’s quite possible to conserve hundreds if not thousands of gallons of water during the hot summer months.
Whether it’s a leaking faucet, taking shorter showers, or watering the grass at the right time of day, conserving water should be the top priority. If you feel as if you might have a leak in your home, let a plumber conduct a thorough inspection.
If you don’t know where to start with your water conservation efforts in your Mason, OH home, please contact Nixco Plumbing Inc. at (513) 445-5142 today.