If you are interested in making your home more efficient, you’ll find that there are many areas in the home where you can cut back, especially the bathroom. It doesn’t have to involve a major bath renovation either.
Alenco has put together a number of tips and tricks for homeowners looking to make their bathrooms more environmentally friendly. Consider trying these options out and you’ll see lowered utility bills too.
Put a Brick in the Toilet Tank!
In the old days when toilet tanks held five gallons or more of water, homeowners used to stick a small brick inside the tank to cut water usage. The brick would be heavy enough not to move around and block the water flow. It would also displace water around it causing the tank to fill up with less water. You don’t have to use a brick now, but a simple plastic bottle filled with water will work just as well.
Open the Window Instead of Using the Fan
Nearly all bathrooms are equipped with a fan to vent steamy air outside when you shower. However, you could also just open the window after bathing to let the humidity out. It only takes a few seconds longer and uses less electricity.
Switch to LED Bulbs
If you haven’t already switched out all of the light bulbs in your bathroom with LED bulbs you need to do so. LEDs use only 25% of the energy that an incandescent bulb does. Plus, they last much longer than an incandescent bulb, so you don’t have to keep buying new ones.
Install a Water-Saving Shower Head
Aerating shower heads mix minute amounts of air with water to reduce usage while maintaining water pressure. It’s simple to switch out the shower heads with one purchased at a local hardware store. You can also look into low-flow shower heads, pulsating shower heads, and flow regulators to physically control the amount of water flowing to the shower head.
Fix Leaky Faucets
It’s not only annoying when you have a leaky faucet, but it’s also wasting water. A water faucet that leaks at a rate of one time per second can spill up to 5 gallons down the drain per day. Consider fixing those leaks to save money and stop wasting water.
Turn Down the Water Heater
There’s nothing quite like a piping hot shower after a long day, but often the water heater is turned up too high for comfort at 140 degrees Fahrenheit. You can still enjoy a hot shower while reducing the gas or electric usage by turning down the temperature. Most homeowners will be perfectly safe to set their water heaters at about 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you are interested in making bigger changes to your bathroom, such as installing accessible baths with handheld shower heads, give Alenco a call. We’ll set up a free consultation with one of our contractors. You can also fill out our online form to ask about a free cost estimate for any of our bathroom remodels.
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