Efficient Sink
Find out the flow rate of a faucet by placing an 8-cup measuring cup in the sink. Open the faucet all the way. If the measuring cup fills in less than 15 seconds, you could benefit from replacing it with an aerated faucet. Bathroom faucets should have a flow rate between 0.5 and 1.5 gallons per minute.
With the replacement made, make the most of your new faucet by using it efficiently. When you brush your teeth, turn off the water. When you shave, plug the sink and rinse your razor in the pool of water instead of leaving the tap open. When you wash your hands, turn off the water while lathering the soap.
Keep an eye out for leaky faucets as well. One drip a second wastes about six gallons of water a day, which adds up fast. Fix leaks as soon as possible or call a plumber if you can't solve the problem yourself.
Efficient Shower and Tub
To measure the flow rate of a showerhead, place a one-gallon bucket under the stream of water and time it for 20 seconds. If the bucket fills completely in that time, replace the showerhead with a low-flow model to keep the flow rate under 2.5 gallons per minute. A low-flow showerhead is an important feature in all well-respecting, efficient bathrooms.
Now it's time to use the new fixture as efficiently as possible. This means keeping your showers to less than five minutes whenever possible. Even cutting just two minutes from your daily shower could save 150 gallons per month. Shut off the water when scrubbing your body and lathering your hair to conserve even more water.
If you're more of a bath kind of person, bathe more efficiently by plugging the tub before turning on the water. Adjust the temperature as the tub fills instead of letting water pour down the drain. Only fill the tub partway to use less water.
Efficient Toilet
Toilet leaks occur when the flapper dividing the tank from the bowl doesn't seal properly. Sometimes these leaks cause "phantom flushes" where the toilet runs briefly for no apparent reason. Other times the leaks are silent. To check for a leak, place food coloring in the tank. If the color seeps into the bowl within about 15 minutes, replace the flapper to repair the leak.
If your toilet was installed before 1992, it's probably an old model that uses 3.5 gallons or more per flush. You could save substantially by replacing the toilet with a low-flow model that uses no more than 1.6 gallons per flush. Dual-flush toilets save even more, giving the user the option to flush away liquid waste with less than 1 gallon of water. The most efficient bathrooms proudly boast this type of toilet.
Even if you don't make flapper or toilet replacements, strive to use your existing toilet more efficiently. Drop tissues in the trash instead of using the toilet as a garbage can, and make sure to teach kids that they only need to flush once in order to save water.
Now that you know all the tricks to achieve more efficient bathrooms, share what you've learned with family members and employees. In order for your bathroom to conserve water, every user must be on board with your efficiency tactics.
Schedule an appointment today with Mr. Rooter if you suspect a leak anywhere in your bathroom. Our expert plumbers will not only provide you with a diagnosis of the problem but will perform a checkup of your whole house! Don't wait, call today!