If It Is Thursday It's Going Green - Water Conservation

If it is Thursday it's Going Green

WATER HEATER: Check your water heater to see if it needs insulation by touching it. If it feels warm, wrap it in a heater blanket. Installing an insulating blanket on your water heater can cut your water heating costs by up to 9 percent. (cost $10) Leave the heater’s thermostat access panel uncovered when you apply the blanket, and set the temperature below 130°F to avoid overheating the wiring.

WATER CONSERVATION: Turn off the tap when brushing teeth and washing dishes.
You may be amazed to know how much water a leaky faucet wastes. For instance, if your faucet drips at a rate of one drop per second, 2,700 gallons would be down the drain each year. So fix the leak. For less than a dollar, you can stop the waste and end up saving money on your utility bill.

A leak from the toilet tank into the bowl is a stealth problem—you can’t see it, but water is wasting constantly. To check for a leak, put three drops of food coloring in the tank and wait a half-hour. If the color appears in the bowl, repair or replace the flapper valve, an easy operation that can save 100 gallons of water or more daily.

Take a few minutes to install a low-flow showerhead. It will make a big difference in conserving water and lower your monthly bill too. Federal standards now require that new showerheads operate at 2.5 gallons per minute. According to EPA figures, replacing old showerheads (that spritzed 4.5 gallons per minute) can save a family of four about 20,000 gallons of water each year.

As the water for your morning shower heats up, fill a watering can with the cold water before it goes down the drain. A ten-minute shower can expend one-third less water than a bath. You can save still more water and heat with the technique known as the ‘navy shower.’ Instead of running a constant stream of water, lather up with the water off and then turn it back on to rinse. Try it and let me know what you think. :-)

Together we can make a difference!

Remember the 4 R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repair