We thought we’d take this week to discuss the average water used during different activities in your home. We’ll look at the average amount used and then discuss ways that this usage can be reduced. What activity or appliance do you think uses the greatest amount of water in your home? If you guessed taking a bath in a bathtub, then you guessed right. Looking at average water usage, because no two people take a bath the same way, we find that there are approximately 36 gallons of water used filling the tub. There will be more if you like to keep the water hot and let some water out and add more hot. Another activity that could use a lot of water is the hose in the backyard. This uses 2 gallons per minute. Now think about how long you leave the hose running, whether by hand or using a sprinkler. This could add up to a significant amount of water, bypassing the amount used in the tub.
Other bathroom activities such as washing your face, brushing your teeth or shaving your legs/face use about 1 gallon. Taking a shower instead of a bath uses 5 gallons per minute. The amount used will depend on how long you remain in the shower with the water running. Moving to the kitchen, a dishwasher can use approximately 16 gallons, depending upon the model. Washing the dishes by hand could use up to 27 gallons. That amount will depend on how you wash the dishes. Do you need to keep refilling the sink? Do you run the “rinse” water the entire time?
The clothes washer could use 30 to 40 gallons per load. If you have a significant amount of clothes to wash, then this water usage will definitely surpass the amount used for a bath. A final thought would be how much water you drink during the day; that comes from the tap.
There are many appliances and gadgets on the market whose purpose is to be energy efficient. The same applies to water. Toilets have been built that are low-flow. This means that less water is used during each flush. Washers have been engineered to use less water per load, while still getting your clothes clean. You can use less water when you brush, wash your face, and shave by simply turning the water off when you are not directly using it. When the hose is running in the backyard, remain aware of how long it is running. You can set a timer to let you know how long it has been running. One of the biggest uses of water in the backyard is forgetting you turned the hose on. How many times have you done that?
For the faucets, you can add an aerator which will reduce the amount of water that comes out at a time. Washing dishes, you could have a wash sink and a rinse sink. Instead of having the water running, you could fill a sink/tub with water and use that to rinse your dishes. Another water saving tip is to shut off the water when you are not directly using it. Now we get to the pesky tub. You could have an aerator on the faucet, but problem is the tub size is the tub size. So whether the water comes out faster or slower, it will still fill the same amount if you fill the tub completely. The idea here would be to determine what is the least amount of water you can use to still get a good soak.
Because so many areas have become water conscious, most appliances will have a water usage amount listed on the label. For any activity that uses running water, like the shower, water can be reduced by simply leaving it on less time, such as, taking a shorter shower. You can also find a showerhead with an aerator.
We would love to help you with your water concerns, when remodeling a kitchen or bath, we can show you ways to reduce your current water usage. We can be reached at (440) 884-4600 or email at customerservice@littsplumbing.com. Call us today!
