How To Turn Your Plumbing Green In Time For St. Patrick’s Day

Updating and repairing your home’s plumbing will provide you and your family with a number of amazing benefits. In addition to saving hundreds of gallons of water a year, you will also be able to avoid extensive damage to the structure of your home from cracked pipes and leaks. Here is a quick glimpse at some steps you can take to turn your plumbing “green” just in time or St. Patrick’s Day.

Most water heaters are shipped with the temperature set at 140°F. For the average family, this temperature is much too high during the warmer months of the year. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, turning your water heater down by just ten degrees could save your family almost $50 a year.

Even a slow leak can waste hundreds of gallons of water in a single year, and that is why it is so important to locate and fix any damage as quickly as possible. One of the most effective ways to test your plumbing for any leaks is by checking the water main. You will first need to go through your home and turn off all faucets and any appliances that use water for at least three or four hours. If the meter continues to move during that time, then you most likely have a leak.

Just like the heat transfer that takes places in your home’s air ducts, heat will also be lost when water runs from the water heater to a faucet. Adding a little extra insulation around the pipes is a simple way to remedy this, and the supplies will often pay for themselves within just a few months. You will also be able to turn your water heater even lower as the moving water will stay much warmer.

Older shower heads and faucets are notoriously inefficient and could be costing you quite a bit of money. Low-flow shower heads use just two gallons of water per minute while traditional shower heads use as much as five gallons per minute. If you are not quite ready to upgrade your shower heads and faucets, then you might want to consider low-flow adapters or nozzles.