Americans use a great deal of water every day. We use water to drink, to wash ourselves, to flush our toilets. You name the daily household tasks and somehow they are likely to be connected to water usage.
Because we use so much water, it would be most beneficial to make sure that the water we are not using does not escape and cause us undue expense. Most of the time, these expenses are from leaks that we do not even know have sprung. Maybe a hot water heater replacement is in order, or maybe it is a simple adjustment to an outdoor spigot.
They can spring from any number of places, going on for days, weeks, or even months before we know they have been the culprit of rising utility bills. Here are a few places you can keep an eye on while trying to keep water expenses down.
According to the EPA, we waste 1 trillion gallons of water every year. This waste can come from any number of places, but the obvious culprits are leaky kitchen and bathroom faucets, toilets that are working improperly, errant sprinkler systems, and bad water heaters.
Banging pipes, leaking pipes, and other plumbing concerns can be the cause of a lot of headaches if we do not monitor them with diligence. Ten percent of all homes in the United States have leaks that are wasting roughly 90 gallons or more water every day. Fixing these leaks can easily save homeowners about ten percent on their monthly water bills.
One of the usual culprits when it comes to mismanaging water usage is typically found in the basement. The hot water heater is a brilliant piece of equipment when it functions properly. Having a hot shower is a luxury that virtually every home in America is used to. If your showers are not as warm as they used to be or if the hot water does not last as long as it once did, hot water heater replacement just might be in your near future.
The average lifespan of a water heater is somewhere between eight and twelve years. When it comes time for a hot water heater replacement, the key is to pick the most efficient heater large enough to handle your needs. If you have an average family of four with two showers, a 65-gallon unit should be sufficient. Of course, the experts at your local dealer can help you figure out the best size water heater for you.
Water is a precious commodity and we must take our usage of this precious resource seriously. Take a look around your home and make sure you are doing everything you can to not waste water. The planet will thank you and your wallet will also thank you. It isn’t free to waste water. In the end, it is going to hit your pocketbook and that feels a whole lot worse than a cold shower.
