Plumbing Upgrades That Enhance Your Home

Over time, shower heads, faucets and the inside parts to toilets wear out and need to be replaced. These fixtures can also develop problems such as leaks, rust and corrosion. When you decide to replace these plumbing fixtures, consider energy-efficient plumbing upgrades. Low-flow toilets, shower heads and faucets perform as well as standard fixtures, but they use considerably less water in order to get the same job done.

New Faucets and Shower Heads

Replacing plumbing fixtures such as leaky faucets and shower heads will cut down on water usage and lower your utility bills. According to the United States Department of Energy, a leaky faucet or shower head that drips once each second wastes an astounding 1,661 gallons of water per year. Heating water accounts for about 18 percent of your annual utility costs. If the fixture is leaking hot water, this is a big waste of money. New shower heads and faucets eliminate the leaking. Faucets and shower heads with built-in aerators can also reduce water usage. They do this by adding more air to the water as it comes out of the fixture. The increased air also enhances the water pressure. Timers can also be installed on shower heads. If someone in the home enjoys taking long showers every day, the timer could remind them to turn off the water in order to reduce total water consumption.

Low-flow Toilets

Low-flow toilets are another ideal plumbing upgrade for your home. These toilets use about 1.6 liters of water per flush. A standard toilet uses about twice that much water. Consider a low-flow toilet with a dual flush option. These toilets use minimal water for flushing away liquid waste and 1.6 liters of water for flushing solid waste. You push the handle up for flushing liquid and down for flushing solid waste. For more information about how these new plumbing fixtures can improve your home, check out E&M Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning’s plumbing services or call (270) 835-2306.