If you’re like most people, you probably don’t think too much about your plumbing. You turn on the faucet and water comes out. You flush the toilet and it all goes away. It’s all pretty simple, right?
Then comes your nasty little water bill, and even nastier carbon footprint.
There’s a lot more to plumbing than just turning on the faucet and flushing the toilet. If you want to be eco-friendly and reduce costs, there are a few things you can do to greenify your Canadian home’s plumbing system.
So without further ado, here are 11 tips for eco-friendly plumbing:
1. Do-It-Yourself Toilet Flushing
Toilets account for nearly 30% of household water usage. That’s the equivalent to about 90 liters of water per person, per day! Save water and protect your wallet by installing a new low-flow toilet in one of two ways:
1. Actively Aerate Flapper (AAFlapper)
This method uses recycled plastic bottles to replace the water-wasting flapper. Simply cut, drill, and glue the bottles into your toilet tank, then fill them with water. The flapper is lifted into place by air entering through the bottlenecks. If you don’t have any recycled plastic bottles around the house, you can purchase AAFlappers online or at Home Hardware for $8-$10.
2. DIY Float Valve Hack
Another eco-friendly and cost-effective solution is to hack your existing toilet tank with a DIY float valve from Home Hardware. It’s easy! Just buy a few parts, assemble the pieces in the tank, and voilà! That will restrict water flow to your toilet bowl when the water level is high enough and cut your water usage.
2. Toilet Tank Hack: Dual Flush Handles
Increase the efficiency of your eco-friendly toilet by installing dual flush handles that control how much water enters the bowl. This clever hack will allow you to save more water when flushing solid waste (1.0 liter) and water when flushing liquid waste (0.8 liters).
3. Use Aerators for Your Water Outlets
This is one of the most common eco-friendly plumbing tips for Canadian homeowners because it’s easy to install and will reduce your water usage. Consider switching faucets in your bathrooms and washrooms to aerators, which are small metal mesh screens that break up the high-pressure flow of water into a more consistent and splash-free stream to reduce water expenditure. You can attach them to your kitchen and bathroom faucets and showerheads.
4. Install a Low-Flow Shower Head
This eco-friendly plumbing tip for Canadian homeowners will make your showers more enjoyable by saving thousands of liters of water while simultaneously increasing pressure! A low-flow showerhead is easy to install and can reduce shower water expenditure by as much as 50% and save you up to $100 per year on your water bill.
5. Dishwasher Hack: Buy a New Model
Energy Star dishwashers are 15% more water-efficient, so it makes sense that replacing an older dishwasher with a newer, high-efficiency model will reduce both your water and energy use. You can also save money on detergents! Just make sure to use a high-efficiency soap that contains a low dose of chemicals and works well with your new dishwasher.
6. Install a New Water Heater
Water heaters account for 17% of household utility costs, so it makes sense that replacing an old water heater can save you money on utilities, water, and energy. If your water heater is older than 15 years or if you use more than 8 liters of hot water per minute, consider swapping out your old water tank for a new high-efficiency model that is equipped with an “eco-batt” (a device that protects the environment by minimizing harmful greenhouse gas emissions).
7. Installing a Grey Water System
Greywater is all the leftover water from showers, baths, dishwashers, and washing machines that can be reused for things like flushing toilets or garden irrigation.
By hiring professional plumbers in Toronto, you can install a greywater system that will make good use of wasted water and save you money on your outdoor utility costs. In fact, you can expect a return on investment in as soon as 1.5 years by reducing your water bill with outdoor utility costs when installing this eco-friendly plumbing tip for Canadian homeowners!
8. Attaching Rain Barrels to Your Downspouts
Rain barrels are an easy way to collect and reuse rainwater that would otherwise be lost. Installing a rain barrel system can save you money on outdoor utility costs, reduce the number of pollutants entering waterways, and offer homeowners an eco-friendly way to water their gardens or wash their cars!
9. Drain Smart Pumps
Drain smart pumps are easy to install into your waste line between your house and the main sewer line. They automatically activate when water is running down your drains and help you save money on household utility costs by preventing clogs from backed-up wastewater, which can often be caused by the excessive build-up of fats, food particles, or soapy residue!
10. Reduce Garden Watering Usage
Opt to use a rain barrel instead of an automatic sprinkler system when watering your garden to save water and money! It’s much more effective, too, because it can reduce outdoor water usage by up to 50%, which means you’ll also be saving energy on your utility bill. Plus, being eco-friendly is good for the environment, so you’re doing your part to protect Canada’s wildlife!
11. Plant a Swale
A swale is an eco-friendly way to slow down water runoff and collect stormwater from roads, driveways, parking lots, and other hard surfaces. This helps prevent soil erosion and allows the water to replenish groundwater reserves. Planting native vegetation in your swale attracts wildlife, provides habitat for pollinators, and reduces your air conditioning costs by cooling outdoor air temperatures!
Hire a Professional Plumber to Greenify Your Home.
No matter how eco-friendly you are, if your home was built before the 80’s it is very likely that it has old plumbing fixtures.
Mister Plumber has a reliable team of Toronto plumbers who can help greenify your home by replacing these old fixtures with more eco-friendly ones that will save you money on household utility costs. They may also be able to upgrade your hot water tank and install a greywater system to reduce your outdoor utility costs!
