It’s Easy to Save Water and Energy with Low-Flow Plumbing Fixtures

Saving water and energy is a smart and environmentally conscious decision for your budget and the environment. Low-flow plumbing fixtures present an effective solution to lower water consumption without compromising performance. Find out about the benefits of low-flow fixtures, how they stack up against traditional models and useful suggestions to conserve even more water in your day-to-day life.

Key Benefits of Installing Low-Flow Plumbing Fixtures

Decreased water waste 

The EPA’s WaterSense program calculates that you can save 700 gallons of water per year by upgrading the traditional faucets in your home with new, low-flow designs. 

Smaller water bills 

Low-flow fixtures help decrease your monthly utility bills by using less water. Indeed, a WaterSense-labeled showerhead can save 4 gallons of water each time you shower, which can really add up over time. 

Also lowers water heating costs 

Using less water to shower, cook and clean results in you using less hot water, which means another boost to your savings by reducing water heating costs. 

Longer plumbing system life span  

Less water flow also reduces wear and tear on your plumbing system, potentially prolonging its life and lowering the need for repairs. 

As you can see, switching to low-flow faucets, showerheads and toilets enhances your plumbing’s efficiency in several ways: 

The Innovations Behind Low-Flow Plumbing Fixtures 

Low-flow fixtures have different design options to maintain performance while using less water. Here’s how they achieve this: 

• Dual-flush technology: More low-flow designs offer two flush options—one for liquid waste using less water, and a fuller flush for solid waste. This optimizes water use based on necessity. 

• Flow restrictors: These devices control the amount of water that flows through the fixture while preventing a noticeable drop in pressure. 

• Aerators: Lots of low-flow faucets and showerheads feature aerators, a component that mixes air with water to preserve the water pressure while still cutting down on the volume of water used. 

How Much Water Will Low-Flow Fixtures Save? 

Low-flow plumbing fixtures began picking up traction in the 1990s. The shift was particularly driven by increased awareness of water conservation concerns and our environmental impact. The Energy Policy Act of 1992 established maximum flow rates for faucets, showerheads and toilets across the United States, promoting the public adoption of low-flow fixtures. This early framework helped establish more efficient faucets and showerheads focused on lowering water consumption while preserving performance. 

Think about how much water low-flow fixtures use compared to their conventional counterparts:

• Faucets: The conventional designs of most faucets run at about 2.2 gallons per minute (gpm), whereas low-flow faucets reduce to 1.5 gpm or less without compromising water pressure.

• Showerheads: The old standard for showerheads was 2.5 gpm. Today’s showerheads cut water usage to 2.0 gpm or less. 

• Toilets: Old toilets may use up to a maximum of 7 gallons per flush (gpf). By comparison, the current federal standard maximum is 1.6 gpf, with a number of dual-flush models with averages as low as 1.28 gpf.

Five Tips for Saving Even More Water

While these water-saving fixtures make a big difference on their own, you can do more to conserve water each time you use them. Here are a few tips:

1. Shut off the water as you brush your teeth: Only leave the tap running if you’re actively using it. If you step away from the sink or take a couple of minutes to actually brush your teeth, turn off the faucet to conserve water.

2. Don’t allow anyone to flush trash: Toilets are solely designed to process toilet paper and human waste. Flushing any other materials needlessly wastes water and sharply increases the risk of a clog forming. Do your plumbing a favor by always disposing of facial tissues, paper towels, cotton balls and all other non-flushable products in the trash. 

3. Take shorter showers: Even if you own low-flow showerheads, you still waste a lot of water if you shower for too long. Shortening your shower time by a minute or two saves water and lowers energy use.

4. Use dual-flush toilets properly: The dual-flush feature only works for you if everyone at home understands how to use it it. Use the half-flush button for liquid waste and only select the full flush for solid waste. A few newer handle-flush toilets feature dual-flush capabilities. A quick flush uses less water, while keeping the handle depressed empties the entire tank to wash away solid waste more thoroughly.

5. Take care of leaks right away: Even low-flow fixtures may leak, wasting more water and reducing efficiency. Spend a few minutes every now and then checking for leaks and address any you find to sustain your water conservation efforts.

Ask About Your Free Estimate for Low-Flow Fixtures Today

Are you ready to reduce your water usage and increase savings? Mark Allen is here to help! We install efficient low-flow faucets, showerheads and toilets to promote water and energy conservation. With our 100% satisfaction guarantee, you can trust us to follow through on the promise of superior products and services you need. The moment you’re ready to ask about a free quote for installing low-flow plumbing fixtures or would like more water conservation tips, please contact us today.