Its the holidays! Time to clean the house and get your food shopping done if you’re hosting any parties. You may also have kids coming home from college or relatives visiting for a few days or a few weeks! Let the fun times begin.
Did you ever stop to think how much water you use on a daily basis, not to mention when you have additional people in your home? Did you know that we use 69.3 gallons per day in the typical single family home? Washing machines and dishwashers account for most of the water use, followed by a close third is the shower.
Here’s what you can do to lower your water consumption overall in the bathrooms of your home. These are simple changes that can really make a difference.
>>> Install a Low Flow Shower Head in each of your bathrooms with showers. These use 2.5 gallons of water or less per minute. They restrict the water flow by way of a high velocity spray that forces compressed air into the water stream. You’ll consume, on average, 5 fewer gallons of water per shower. You can also turn off the water flow on a regular or low flow shower head while you are soaping up and shampooing, to save even more water. We’re talking 7,800 gallons of water per year that you can save with low flow shower heads.
>>> The same can be done for faucets in the kitchen and baths. These are called faucet aerators. They work the same way a low flow shower head does, essentially. They mix air into the faucet’s water stream to keep less water from going down the drain. These can really save you some big bucks. We often find ourselves running the water until it gets hot for cleaning up dirty dishes, etc. Less water escapes while you run, run, run the faucet. (Another thing you can do is catch the unused water and use for watering house plants.) If you set out to purchase a faucet aerators, look for the “Water Sense” label. This was recently developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help consumers by outlining products that use no more than 1.5 gpm (gallons per minute.)
>>> How old is your toilet? Not something you contemplate as you go about your daily “business”. If it was made after 1994, you’re okay with the amount of water the toilet uses. A Federal law says that all toilets made after 1994 must not use more than 1.6 gallons per flush. Leave it to lawmakers to really know their “stuff” when it comes to saving water in the bathroom! If you have an older toilet, it is most likely using more water than necessary. If you really want to be 
“green”, you can live by the saying “if it’s brown, flush it down; if it’s yellow, let it mellow”. But that is a personal choice you make as to whether you flush each time you use.
So before Aunt Bethany or Cousin Eddie arrives on your doorstep for the holidays, there is still time to assess your ability to save on household water use. In the long run, its better for everyone to conserve use of any and all natural resources.
Is Your Home Like a Water Park? By our team member Gina Wherry originally appeared in the Montgomeryville-Lansdale Patch.
Contact Scott Loper, Associate Broker, Realtor®, RE/MAX Realty Group at 215-513-1333 for help buying or selling a home in Lansdale, Harleysville, Hatfield, Souderton, Skippack, Collegeville, North Wales and the surrounding areas of Montgomery County of Pennsylvania. To Search for Homes For Sale in Montgomery County Click Here.
Is Your Home Like a Water Park? - Copyright © 2011, The Scott Loper Team, All rights reserved.
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The Scott Loper Team
Scott Loper - Associate Broker
Lisa Loper - Sales Associate
Gina Wherry - Sales Associate
RE/MAX Realty Group
439 Main Street
Harleysville, PA 19438
Ph: 215-256-1200 x-213
