10 Easy Ways to Use Less Water at Home

While some conservation efforts are expensive or inconvenient, using less water is easy to do! Plus, your efforts can reduce your water bill and help safeguard this important natural resource. Here are 10 no- and low-cost ways to save water at home.

1. Check for toilet leaks: “Phantom flushes” indicate a leaky toilet, but if you’re not sure, place a few drops of food coloring in the tank. If colored water starts making its way into the toilet bowl after 30 minutes, you know there’s a leak. Replacing the old, worn-out flapper is usually a fast and easy fix.
2. Don’t use your toilet as a trash can: To prevent needlessly flushing the toilet, dispose of tissues, cigarette butts, cotton balls, and other items in the trash. Doing so also helps prevent toilet clogs.
3. Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving: Wet your toothbrush, and then turn off the water until it’s time to rinse. When shaving, let some water pool in the stopped-up sink so you can rinse your razor without leaving the faucet running.
4. Test for leaking pipes: To spot a hidden plumbing leak, check the water meter and refrain from running any water for two hours. If the meter has changed when you check it again, you know there’s a leak somewhere in your water pipes.
5. Only run the dishwasher and washing machine with full batches: Since these appliances use up to 25 or 30 gallons of water per cycle, it pays to only run them when they’re full. Then, when it’s time to replace your dishwasher or washing machine, choose a high-efficiency model that conserves the most water.
6. Shorten your showers: Save water by keeping your showers to five minutes or less. Turn off the water while you’re lathering up to conserve even more.
7. Install low-flow faucets and showerheads: This inexpensive upgrade limits the flow to no higher than 2.5 gallons per minute (gpm) for showerheads, 2.0 gpm for kitchen faucets, and 1.5 gpm for bathroom faucets. Aerators add bubbles to the stream, so you still enjoy adequate water pressure, even while using less water every time you turn on the tap.
8. Water your lawn strategically: To limit evaporation, water your lawn in the cool morning hours. Also, check that the sprinkler heads are oriented to water the grass, not the fence or sidewalk. Then, skip watering if it rained the day before.
9. Clear off your driveway and sidewalks with a broom: Hosing these hard surfaces is wasteful, so use a broom instead.
10. Don’t play in the sprinklers: For less wasteful water play, fill up a kiddie pool on your patio for your kids to splash around in.

Want more water-saving tips? Need help repairing a leaky pipe? Mike Counsil Plumbing and Rooter is here for you! Give us a call at 408-618-8002 or contact us today to request the services you need. Our experienced plumbers have served the San Jose, CA area since 1994.