Green Plumbing

Going Green

How to reduce your home energy use

So you want to save money.  Doesn't everyone?  Some changes that can help you right away, is to update your plumbing system.

Insulating your water pipes— Insulating your water pipes can help reduce the heat loss on your water lines.  Specifically when the lines are on an exterior wall. 

Remove Plumbing from Exterior Walls—If you have a choice, choose to keep your lines from being installed in an exterior wall.  Along with insulating the pipes, you will dramatically cut the heat loss, which occurs in these situations.

Install an On-Demand Hot Water Circulation Pump—These pumps send hot water to your fixtures in a matter of seconds, saving you money on two fronts. For starters, you won't lose heat as hot water unnecessarily sits unused in the pipes, and since you won't have to run water at the faucet while you wait for hot water to arrive, you'll reduce your water usage, as well.


Install a New Hot Water Heater—Heating the water can add up to 15% or your energy expense.  Replacing your water heater with a high efficiency one can help cut your cost.  Installing a tankless water heater can help cut the costs even more. 

Some helpful tips to save water

• When washing your car, use a spray nozzle which can be shut off when not in use.  You could save 100 or more gallons.
• Time your shower to keep it under 5 minutes. You'll save up to 1000 gallons a month.
• Soak your pots and pans instead of letting the water run while you scrape them clean.
• A leaky faucet could waste up to 140 gallons a week!
• Don't let the water run while you brush your teeth and you could save up to 4 gallons a minute - 200 gallons a week for a family of four.
• Put food coloring in your toilet tank. If it seeps into the toilet bowl, you have a leak. It's easy to fix, and you can save more than 600 gallons a month.
• Never put water down the drain when there may be another use for it such as watering a plant or garden, or cleaning.