Earth Day Plumbing Tips
Ways You Can Help!
Introduction
In honor of Earth Day this week, here are some plumbing tips to make your home as eco-friendly and inexpensive as possible.
Conserve electricity & water:
Take shorter showers.
Only run dishwasher when it is fully loaded.
Turn the faucet off when brushing your teeth: This can save you an average of 2.5 gallons of water per minute.
Install a dual flush toilet: Saves water by using as little as 0.6 gallons of water for a light flush and up to 1.6 gallons for a full flush whereas a standard, less efficient toilets use 3.5 gallons of water per flush or more.
Repair leaks in your home: A running toilet is an irresponsible waste of water and at an average rate of 6,000 wasted gallons monthly (around $20 down the drain on a monthly basis); Fixing this internal leak will help conserve water and save you money.
Set your water heater to 120 degrees: Setting your water heater at anything lower than 120 degrees can put you at risk of disease, such as Legionnaires’ Disease, because the bacteria thrive in the warm stagnant water inside the tank yet setting your water heater too high is a waste of energy and money and puts you at risk of getting scalded – 120 degrees is the magic number!
Upgrade your tired, old water heater to a more efficient and environmentally friendly tankless hot water heater: Tankless water heaters can save you money on utilities each month and last longer than conventional water heaters. Click here for a coupon and incentive from RG&E to go tankless.
Protect the Genesee River and Lake Ontario by keeping hazardous waste out of the storm water system.
Everything that goes down the drain will end up at a water treatment facility and eventually into our waterways, like the Erie Canal, Lake Ontario, and the Genesee River.
Avoid putting anything other than water down storm drains.
Clean up after your pets: Animal waste contains harmful organisms like e. coli and salmonella and is high in nitrogen. Too much nitrogen can deplete the oxygen in the water, making it harmful to fish and underwater plants. If you do not pick up after your pet, the storm waters could wash these pollutants into local steams and rivers, eventually making its way to Lake Ontario.
Limit the use of fertilizers and pesticides.
Properly dispose of household chemicals/oils and unwanted or expired medications at the Ecopark: Be careful what you send down your drains, not only for the sake of your plumbing, but also for the sake of our environment.
Only flush toilet paper and human waste down the toilet: Flushing items such as medications, wet wipes, and feminine products cause huge problems to sewer systems and water treatment facilities. Next time you consider flushing anything other than toilet paper down the drain, remember the negative impact this can have on the beautiful waterways we are lucky to have within the Rochester community.
Conclusion
For help making your home more environmentally friendly, call your neighborhood plumber, Pride Plumbing at (585) 271-7150 or click here to schedule an appointment online.
