Using less water is not only good for the environment, but it can save you money on your water bill too. The bathroom is one area of our home where we use a lot of water, so if you’re trying to reduce your consumption it’s worth starting here. So here are six important ways to conserve water in the bathroom.
1) Low flush or dual flush toilet
Many toilets use a truly colossal amount of water – some older models of toilets can use more than 5 or 7 gallons of water per flush! Standard modern toilets usually use around 3.5 gallons per flush, but even this is extremely excessive. It’s possible to install low-flush toilets that use as little as 1.5 gallons per use.
Another option would be to have a dual flush toilet installed. These give you the option of two different levels of flush, using more or less water in the applicable situation. Given the average person flushes the toilet five times per day this can really reduce your water consumption.
2) Spend less time in the shower
This one might seem obvious, but spending less time in the shower can make a massive difference to your water consumption. It has long been assumed that showers use less water than baths but new research indicates that people showering for ten minutes or more will be using more water than if they were taking a bath instead. So make the effort to consider reducing your showering time to around five minutes. This can be very difficult as long showers can be enormously relaxing, but it can be really worth it.
So make the effort to consider reducing your showering time to around five minutes. This can be very difficult as long showers can be enormously relaxing, but it can be really worth it.
3) Low-flow showerhead
If you want to go a step further (or you can cope with the idea of shorter showers), a good idea can be to install a low-flow showerhead. Standard showerheads can flow at up to around 5 gallons per minute. Low flow options can use around half as much, as the conventional heads. Of course, it will mean the expense of paying for a new showerhead, but take a look online and you’ll find a wide selection of showers, baths and taps at great discount prices. What’s more, the reduction in your water usage and bills means you’ll have recouped your investment soon.
4) Don’t leave the tap running
Here’s one that is so simple but can see a huge reduction in the amount of water that you use on a daily basis. Think about when you use the sink in the morning and at night. When you brush your teeth or shave, do you leave the tap running? Many people let the tap flow throughout the whole five minutes or so as they get ready. Turning off the tap and only running it briefly when you need to rinse is something that everyone can do with no hardship at all.
5) Be smart with the bath
Relaxing in the bath can be a lovely treat but there’s no doubt that a bath can use a lot of water. A single soak in the tub could use up to 50 gallons of water, depending on the size of your bath. So if you can reduce this kind of consumption you’ll be doing a lot of good. Firstly, it’s worth noting that you don’t have to fill up your bath as much as you do. It can be just as relaxing to fill the bath using only around half as much water as you currently do. If you wanted to take this further, you can even buy a smaller bathtub to make sure that your consumption is lower.
Firstly, it’s worth noting that you don’t have to fill up your bath as much as you do. It can be just as relaxing to fill the bath using only around half as much water as you currently do. If you wanted to take this further, you can even buy a smaller bathtub to make sure that your consumption is lower.
6) Fix leaks
Do you have a tap or a shower head that leaks? These small leaks might seem like a mild inconvenience, but over time they can be using up a huge amount of water. Get the leak sorted as soon as possible to stop the waste. It’s also possible to buy toilet leak tests that can tell you whether or not your toilet is leaking – this can be very difficult to know and could mean you’re wasting a lot of water.
So there you have my six suggestions for saving water in the bathroom. I hope you find them useful and you’re able it implement a few of these ideas.