Don’t Let Your Money Go Down the Drain: Go Green in Plumbing

Here are a few ways that you can go ‘green’ in plumbing:

1. Use Greywater

   Greywater is clean (no fecal contamination) domestic waste water. Greywater can be used for laundry, toilet flushing, and watering non food producing plants.

2. Use a Dishwasher

   Researchers at the University of Bonn found that energy efficient dishwashers use 1/6 of the water (and less soap) as handwashing. Just make sure you run your machine when it’s full.

3. Get Low-Flow Showerheads

   Replacing your standard showerheads with low-flow equivalents can reduce water consumption up to 2 gallons per minute.

4. Start Collecting Rainwater

   Collect and use rainwater with a distribution system (which can be fully integrated into an existing residential plumbing system) to offset home water costs.

5. Get a “On Demand” Hot Water

   Tankless water heaters (also called “on demand”) heat water without the use of a storage tank. This means that they don’t require a tank to store hot water, saving energy costs. Bonus: tankless water heaters have double the lifespan of traditional water heaters.

6. Get a Toilet with Dual Flush Technology

   Dual-Flush toilets are designed to allow you to select the amount of water per flush. This means you can decrease your toilet’s water usage.

7. Green Layouts

   When building new homes, keep efficient plumbing layouts in mind. Run the house with the shortest possible pipes to reduce water consumption.