If your water bill has been climbing over the past few months, and you don’t know what to do, taking a look at the water efficiency of your toilets and showerheads could help you keep to your budget.
But how do you know if you have high- or low-flow toilets and showerheads? And how does checking the efficiency of these bathroom essentials help with your monthly water bill? Let’s find out.
What Are Low-flow Toilets?
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), toilets account for 30% of water use in American homes. Older toilets can utilize more than three to seven gallons per flush. That can lead to a hefty water bill and massive water losses per year.
Low-flow toilets help save water by using no more than 1.6 gallons per flush. They use gravity or pressure assistance to clear waste. That happens when the flapper in the toilet tank moves, releasing water down into the toilet bowl. Gravity carries the water into pipes.
In comparison, pressure-assisted toilets have a big water tank that is filled with water at high pressure. When the flush valve gets opened, the high-pressure water rushes down into the toilet bowl and powerfully flushes everything away.
What Are Low-flow Showerheads?
Low-flow showerheads have flow rates lower than 1.5 gallons per minute (gpm), which is significantly lower than the current standard of 2.5gpm. These showerheads can reduce water wastage by up to 50%.
The easiest way to figure out if your showerhead is wasting water is to place a one-gallon water container under the shower and count the time it takes to fill up to the brim. If your container fills in 15 seconds, it probably has a flow rate of 3.5 to 4 gpm.
Your showerhead should take 25 seconds or more to fill up a one-gallon container if it’s low-flow.
Benefits of Using Low-flow Toilets and Showerheads
Here are several benefits of using low-flow toilets and showerheads:
1. You Reduce Water Wastage
It doesn’t matter whether you install a gravity- or pressure-assisted toilet. A low-flow toilet will save you hundreds of gallons of water per year. How does that happen? Essentially, your toilet will use less water to channel waste through pipes and away from your home.
Similarly, a low-flow shower is going to save you thousands of gallons of water per year, reducing your water bill by at least $110 per year.
2. You Save Money
You save a lot of money by using low-flow toilets and showerheads. For instance, when low-flow toilets can save you up to $140 per year and $2,900 over the toilet lifetime.
Similarly, low-flow showers can help you save at least $50 on heating costs per year and save thousands of gallons of water per year, which can reduce your water bill by at least $150 per year.
3. You Become More Environmentally-friendly
While saving money and water, you can also become more environmentally friendly if you install low-flow showerheads and toilets in your home. For instance, you cut down on CO2 emissions because you’re using less hot water during showers.
Similarly, low-flow toilets can help you save up on constant costs because your toilet will last as long as 30 years.
The Takeaway
Low-flow toilets and showerheads can help you save thousands of gallons of water and hundreds of dollars per year. So getting a low-flow system installed in your bathroom should be a top priority if you want to save some costs.
The best way to get low-flow accessories in your bathroom is to contact a bathroom remodeling company near you. They’ll let you know what you need to know to get started.