Plumbing Questions & Answers

This blog post comes a little late for Blog Action Day 2009, but nonetheless, it serves an important purpose. As inhabitants of this great world, we need to be more conscious of our actions and take responsibility. So whether it’s caring for the environment, or pushing for human rights, we can all do a little more to bring the discussions to the forefront of society and provoke action.

For this article, we will cover something more important than just plumbing. We will be covering tips on how we can actually conserve water. Water is very important to us in order to live, and for plumbers, this is one of the elements for long-term job security. Each of us can do our part and once we all start contributing, you can be sure that the world will be a much better place to live in.

These tips are very simple yet, they can be overlooked at times. Combined with your plumbing know-how, these tips can go a long way to preserving the world’s water supply.

• Excessive amounts of detergents, bleaches and chemicals may kill the natural bacteria in your septic system. Avoid using as much as possible.
• Using biodegradable soaps and detergents can lead to a healthier system.
• Excess watering can lead to a lot of wasted water. It can also drown the plants. A smart way to counter this during the summertime is to purchase a spring-loaded timer that attaches directly to your outside faucet. There are several inexpensive choices for this and they can be quite helpful by preventing excess use of water especially when you forget to turn off the sprinkler system.
• If your home has a water pressure of over 60lbs per square inch, try to install a pressure reducing valve that will help limit the water pressure inside your home. A water pressure of over 60lbs per square inch may be harmful to your plumbing system and it can also lead to excessive water usage. Also try to contact the local water authorities to find out what the water pressure is on your street to give you a general idea.
• Check your water meter when you are not using any water. Make a note of the reading and come back eight to ten hours later. If the reading has changed without you using any water, that can be a good indication that you have a leak somewhere in your system. Leaks can be a waste of water and it can also increase you water bill. As soon as you see a change, try fixing the problem by doing it yourself (if you have the experience) or calling a local plumber to check on your system.

Here are some more tips for other parts of your home.

• More than forty percent of your total water consumption comes from your toilets. Installing a new toilet flapper and a fill valve will keep your toilet running efficiently without wasting too much water.
• If you have one of those old shower heads, try replacing it with a low flow shower head to lessen the water usage while maintaining the full spray action regardless of the water pressure. This move can actually save you up to 7.5 gallons of water per minute.
• Unbelievably, a dripping faucet can waste as much as 150 gallons of water a day which translates to 4,500 gallons each and every month. Repairing or replacing the leaking faucet can save water and keep your water bill from rising as well.