When it comes to reducing your monthly bills, there are two main systems in your home that you should consider. These will be your electrical system and your plumbing system. Below, we’ll share with you some of the best upgrades you can make to help lower both your water and energy bills.
Tankless Water Heater
One of the best upgrades will be a tankless water heater. This device will use significantly less energy than a traditional tank-style water heater. This comes down to the fact that a tankless water heater only turns on to heat water whenever you turn on your faucet. it doesn’t waste any energy trying to keep many gallons of water hot until you need to use it.
Smart Irrigation System
Another great upgrade to consider is a smart irrigation system. This type of system has various sensors that allow you to monitor the water usage of your system. It typically comes with integrated leak detection technology that automatically shuts off valves at specific locations where a leak is detected. You’ll receive a message on your smartphone to notify you of a problem.
Low-Flow Fixtures
A simple upgrade that can help reduce your water consumption is to purchase low-flow fixtures. You can get these for your showers, kitchen sinks, and bathroom sinks. These all have special aerators that mix air into the water as it comes out of your spigot. This helps reduce water consumption while maintaining the same water pressure.
Toilets
If your home hasn’t been renovated in over 40 years, you likely have many older toilets. While they may still work fine, they can use up to 7 gallons per flush. Modern-day toilets can only use a maximum of 1.6 gallons per flush. By simply upgrading to a modern toilet, you can save a significant amount of water each year. If you want to take it a step further, consider investing in a high-efficiency toilet or a dual-flush toilet, which can help you further reduce your water usage.
Graywater Recycling
An innovative upgrade that you can add to your home to significantly reduce your water consumption throughout the spring and summer months is to install a greywater recycling system. This type of system will recycle water from your sinks and appliances so that you can use it to irrigate your lawn or water your garden. It’s essential to make a distinction between graywater, which comes from drains, and blackwater, which comes from toilets.
Solar Water Heater
If you really want to reduce your energy consumption throughout the year, investing in a solar hot water heater can be a great choice. By strategically placing solar panels on your property, you can generate your own energy to use for heating water in your home. You will likely want to consider investing in a battery to help store excess energy generated by your solar panels throughout the day, so you can use that energy during the overnight hours when the sun is not out.
Insulation
A cost-effective way to enhance the energy efficiency of your plumbing system is to install insulation on your pipes. Insulation on your cold-water pipes helps to keep them from freezing, while insulation on your hot-water pipes helps them retain more of their heat. When your pipes retain more heat, you can set the temperature lower on your water heater while still getting nice, hot water at your faucets.
You can also add insulation to your water heater. A water heater blanket simply wraps around the hot water tank. Invest in a water heater jacket if you have a tankless water heater.
Water Softener System
One device that you simply can’t overlook when upgrading your home is a water softener system. If you have hard water at your home, it can significantly decrease the lifespan of your piping, plumbing fixtures, and appliances. The excess minerals in hard water also make it more challenging for your water heater to efficiently heat up your water. By installing a water softener system, you can increase the efficiency of your water heater, so it uses less energy and extends the overall longevity of all your plumbing system’s components.
Motion Sensor Faucet
Another plumbing fixture to consider using in your home to reduce water usage is a motion sensor faucet. These are great for areas like your kitchen or bathroom, where you may find yourself running water when you’re not actually using it. For example, you may leave the water running while you’re physically brushing your teeth. That’s a lot of wasted water over the entire year.
A motion sensor faucet will turn on whenever it detects motion underneath it. Then, as soon as it senses the motion is gone, it will turn off automatically. This is great for helping to conserve water and is convenient and hygienic for you.
Energy-Efficient Appliances
Probably one of the easiest ways to help save money on both your energy and water bills is to invest in energy-efficient appliances. Those that have an ENERGY STAR certification will use less energy and water than the average appliance. You may even find that you’re eligible to receive a rebate from the manufacturer when you purchase these types of appliances. Consider upgrading your dishwasher, clothes washer, and hot water heater.
Hot Water Recirculation Systems
One rather annoying problem that many people encounter with their hot water is that the water is cold when they first turn on the faucet. Depending on how far your water heater is from your faucet, it may take 10 or 20 seconds or a minute or more for the water to start heating up. That’s a lot of wasted water over that time frame.
A great way to curb this problem is to invest in a hot water recirculation system. With this type of system, water in your hot water lines is constantly circulated back into your hot water heater to keep warming back up. This ensures that you get instant hot water whenever you turn on the hot side of your faucet. This type of system is ideal for lowering your water consumption while enhancing your comfort.
Whole-Home Water Filtration System
If your family relies on bottled water for drinking, you can be wasting a lot of money every year paying for that bottled water. Plus, it’s important to mention the fact that you’re going to be using a lot of plastic. A great way to avoid this expense is to invest in a water filtration system for your home. These systems are great for treating the water in your home to remove harmful contaminants, such as microplastics, as well as any unpleasant odors. When you have better-tasting and higher-quality water coming out of your faucet, you’ll be less likely to rely on bottled water.
Exceptional Plumbing Installation Service
A/C & Plumbing Doctors offers exceptional plumbing installation service to the Gilbert, AZ community. We can also assist with all your plumbing repair and maintenance needs. Call our office today to schedule an appointment with one of our skillful plumbing professionals.
