No matter what part of the country one happens to live in, the cost of maintaining a household seems to be going up. As a result, more and more homeowners these days are looking for ways to save money on their monthly utility bills. Fortunately, there is one way for people to eliminate a significant chunk of their water bills. Thanks to the advent of low-flow plumbing fixtures, homeowners can reduce their water use and minimize its associated costs in the process. Walter Tulecki is the owner of WT Mechanical in Central New Jersey. He says that low-flow plumbing fixtures are a great investment for homeowners looking to reduce their utility bills.
Low-flow plumbing fixtures are items such as showerheads, sink faucets, and toilets that produce or use less water than standard fixtures. While many older homes are equipped with standard flow fixtures, any new homes being built can legally only include low-flow plumbing fixtures. In fact, this law has been in effect for well over a decade, which means that at this point, a fair number of homes are sporting these low-flow fixtures. And while owners of older homes are by no means obligated to replace their standard plumbing fixtures with low-flow one, there is certainly a good reason for them to do so. After all, the less water that is being used, the lower that water bill is bound to be at the end of the month.
Some people might wonder to what extent these low-flow fixtures will really save them money, but the statistics pretty much speak for themselves. Low-flow toilets are designed to use approximately 1.6 gallons of water per flush, as opposed to standard toilets, which use about 3.5 gallons for each flush. Low-flow showerheads use about 2.5 gallons of water per minute, which is significantly less than the 4 to 5 gallons per minute being used by traditional showerheads. Finally, low-flow faucets produce about 2.5 gallons of water per minute. That’s a considerable reduction compared to standard faucets, which go through about 4 gallons per minute. The fewer gallons of water a household uses, the lower its water bill is bound to be; so from a cost perspective, there’s really no question that low-flow plumbing fixtures can save people money.
Of course, some people out there claim to notice a difference between low-flow plumbing fixtures and their standard counterparts. According to Tulecki, when low-flow fixtures are put in properly and the home’s water pressure is generally good, then it becomes difficult to truly tell the difference between low-flow and standard faucets, showerheads, and toilets. For this reason, he encourages homeowners with older fixtures to invest in a low-flow overhaul. Low-flow fixtures can be found in most hardware or home improvement stores, and showerheads and faucets can often be installed without professional help. Low-flow toilets, on the other hand, tend to be a bit more complicated, so the cost of hiring a professional needs to be factored in when toilets are included in the household switch.
While many homeowners are able to get on board with the notion of swapping out their faucets and showerheads, some tend to be concerned about switching to low-flow toilets, wondering if they will really get the necessary flushing job done. While some older low-flow toilets were known to be problematic in the clogging area, newer models are said to function extremely well, thereby eliminating that issue and allowing homeowners to save money at the same time.
If you’ve been struggling with high water bills, then consider investing in low-flow plumbing fixtures to replace the current set in your household. Not only will you be doing your part to avoid wasting water, you’ll be lessening the financial burden of owning, maintaining, and enjoying your home.
