02 Oct Better Bathroom Tips
We’re on a mission to help you make your bathroom more water efficient this month, and we may get a little nerdy with the numbers (we can’t help ourselves ?).
Here’s why. Bathrooms are one of the biggest sources of water loss in a home, largely because of older commodes and fixtures.
Let’s start with the commode. Older commodes can use up to 7 gallons of water every time you flush, while a new, water efficient commode uses less than 2 gallons per flush.
We know that may not sound like much, but if you do the math, an older commode can easily use 25 more gallons per day (that’s with just 5 flushes a day), which is 750 gallons a month. Over the course of a year, that’s roughly 9,000 gallons of water, which is more than our average household uses in a single month!
Taking our math a little further, at $7.50 per thousand gallons, you’d save $67 the first year with your new WaterSense commode. You’d likely recover the cost of the new commode within 2 years. And every year after that, the savings just keep adding.
If you’re not ready to pull the trigger and buy a new commode, another way to look for savings is to check your commode for leaks. It is super quick and easy to do – watch this video for a quick tutorial.
If you suspect you have a leaking commode, let us know. We’ll send you a free toilet test kit. Visit our Customer Service Hub to request one. And if you do find your commode is leaking, check the flapper. They are very easy to replace and are often to blame for a running commode. This video from the EPA WaterSense team shows you exactly how to change a flapper.
Older fixtures can also cost you – either if they are dripping, have an aerator that’s gone bad, or have high flow rates. In just one year, a WaterSense labeled showerhead can save the average family the amount of water it takes to wash more than 70 loads of laundry and the amount of electricity used to power its home for 13 days!
Look for the EPA WaterSense label when your shopping for new fixtures, or click here to find one.
