Can A More Efficient Shower Head Save You Money?
In today’s economy, all of us are looking for better ways to save extra money each month. While every household in america uses water, not everyone is using it efficiently. If you live in an older model home, a few inexpensive updates can increase your efficiency, as well as increase your savings!
Until about 1992, American homes were allowed to have shower heads that put our about 5.5 gallons of water per minute, per federal regulations. With this allowance, a typical 10 minute shower could waste as much as 55 gallons of water! However, the federal regulation changed and only allowed shower head manufacturers to create shower heads that released up to 2.5 gallons of water per minute, knocking a 10 minute shower down to 25 gallons of water used. This is a significant amount of saved water, meaning that updating your shower head can really save you a lot, considering that about 17% of American water usage goes towards showers!
If you don’t have an outdated shower head, you can still save money by changing your shower head. While the regulations allow for up to 2.5 gallons per minute, you can find low flow shower heads that restrict usages to lower amounts, such as 2 gallons per minute.
Beyond water usage, many homeowners forget that each shower will cost them not only in water, but also in heating. Every shower is accompanied by a rise in usage of the hot water heater. By taking showers that use less water, you are also saving money on energy that is typically directed at heating water for your showers. If you are interested in learning more ways you can save money with your plumbing or if you are in need of bathroom repairs, give us a call at (214) 402-5454!
